


To Do No Harm

by Mertensiana



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Smut, Hospital, MMA fighter Kakashi, Masturbation, Modern AU, Oral Sex, Pining, Prescription Drug Use, Same Age, Surgeon Sakura, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:40:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 102,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26589028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mertensiana/pseuds/Mertensiana
Summary: ISakura Haruno is a surgical resident who's begun to hit a stride in career. She's kind, smart, and capable, but ever since she broke things off with her fiance, she's struggled to form new meaningful relationships, romantic or otherwise. Kakashi Hatake has lost a lot in his life, and while his fighting career was always a good outlet for the pain, as he gets older, he has to face the reality that he can't fight the rest of his life. When two emotionally stunted workaholics meet, maybe they can open up each other's world and let some light in.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Hatake Kakashi, Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 247
Kudos: 313





	1. A Second Date

**Author's Note:**

> In this story, Kakashi is emotionally equivalent to when he left ANBU. He's come out of a very dark place but he still has to work to get to a good place, also he's a bit more serious. But some time with our favorite pink-haired medic will hopefully soften him up. Sakura I imagine is close to how she was at the beginning on Shippuden. She's put in a lot of work and is just ready to prove herself to the world. I just wanted you guys to know what I was basing this story off of.  
> This is the first fanfiction I've ever written and so any comments or critiques are super welcomed! No one beta reads my stuff so I'm flying blind.

As far as second dates went, unfortunately, she had had worst. But that didn't mean this one was going well. A guy from her hospital, albeit an entirely different floor and department, had asked her out after months of flirting in the cafeteria, which had been entertaining enough. After a while, a first date only seemed natural. It was one of those dates where everything went wrong, the car broke down, they got caught in the rainstorm, and she didn't get home until five in the morning and not for the fun reason. However, she had decided to give him another chance; maybe it would be a part of a long love story, one they would tell their grandchildren someday. "Fuck yeah! Sakura, did you see that?" He turned to her, grinning ear to ear. Probably not- she answered her last thought before he had so rudely interrupted.

"Yeah," she feigned any interest in the MMA fight he was watching on TV. A college bar seemed like a fun idea at first, recapture their youth as thirty loomed over them, but he had spent the whole night watching a fight. She looked at the screen for a while between sips of her wine; two men were fighting, one with a ridiculous bowl cut and green shorts, the other with a mop of silver hair and shorts to match. They were both shirtless, but it was apparent who the better-looking one was. With how this date was going, she took some sexy inspiration to use later in the evening. She didn't like watching MMA, all the possible medical complications it could cause. She would concede, though, that there was an appeal to muscular, sweaty men being showcased on TV, especially when they looked like that silver-haired devil. The two watched the rest of the fight in silence, eventually her favorite won, her date also seemed happy at the outcome, although probably for a different reason. "What's the name of the guy who won?" She asked, maybe a little too interested.

"His name is Kakashi Hatake; he's been winning matches left and right. Did I turn you into an MMA fan, Haruno?" He teased, finally looking over to her.

She mustered up the best fake smile she could, and, to be fair, it was pretty good, "Maybe." Shortly after, he drove her home. On the way back, he tried to schedule a third date, but she managed to stave him off by blaming work; luckily, he took the hint. He looked disappointed, possibly realizing he was kind of a shitty date for watching the fight instead of her, but he was cool enough about it. Making her at least promise to text him next time she wanted to go out.

Sakura gave him a light kiss on the cheek before leaving the car, "drive safe," she smiled and closed the door. Part of her wished she had invited him in, a third date was out the question, but it had been a while since she had gotten adequately laid. She shook the idea out of her head, though. Having sex tonight would most certainly mean at least one more date with him, and she couldn't. Besides, he worked on her floor, best not to complicate things just because she was horny.

So the decision had been made, another night with a bath, glass of wine, and her favorite vibrator. Usually, when she touched herself, her head was filled with visions of past sexual exploits, sex scenes from movies, and the occasional passages from her romance novels, but tonight she couldn't get the rock hard body of the MMA fighter out of her head. She was never one for porn, but she had to see his body again. She pulled out her phone and looked up his name, Kakashi Hatake. While there were some nice promo shots and a couple of fight highlight reels, there was one video in particular that caught her attention.

'Kakashi Hatake warm-up routine' It seemed like it served as an instructional video of good warm-ups for amateur fighters. It was just Kakashi with taped hands and gray sweatpants. Some words above him were edited in probably because he didn't look like he cared to give any directions himself.

He started off stretching then moved to a couple of push-ups and jumping jacks. Then he moved to shadow boxing, and that's where Sakura lost herself. The determination in his eyes, the sweat shimmering on his chest, those gray sweatpants slipping down just enough that she could see the defined 'V' shape of his lower abs. She shut her phone off and placed the vibrator softly against her clit. "Kakashi," she whispered out, imagining him holding the vibrator instead of her. But that wasn't real enough. She turned her toy off and opted to use her fingers. She wanted him to play with her, for his fingers to be soaked with her juices. She was only wearing an oversized shirt, but she lifted it and pinched her already hard nipples. She imagined his hands were big and rough, nothing like the small, nimble hands of a surgeon. She didn't last long. There was a wave of pleasure followed by relaxation before she melted into bed, drifting off to sleep not long after.

****

The next day hadn't been as terrible as she thought it would be. The man she had gone on a date with was nice enough about the whole thing, probably also wanted to avoid any drama or HR. For that, Sakura was grateful. "Haruno!" Sakura stood up straight at the shrill shout of her name from her mentor, who either wanted her to assist in surgery or finish some paperwork for her because she was hungover. It was hard to tell just by her tone when she turned around though she was out of her lab coat with the look in her eyes she always had before cutting a person open. "OR 6, meet me there in ten," she walked past, barely even looking at her. Dr. Tsunade Senju was the best surgeon at Konoha General. Sakura was honestly blessed to have a mentor like her as high maintenance as she could be at times.  
Sakura made her way to the OR, washed her hands, and prepared herself on the assist. She was three years into her seven-year residency. Still a ways away from being an attending. The chart said the patient was here for an appendectomy, a procedure she had observed and assisted in over a hundred times now. Male, 27, no health issues that would interfere in the procedure. She headed into the theatre when Tsunade had already prepped and put to sleep the patient on the table. "Did you look at the patient's chart, Dr. Haruno?" Tsunade looked up at the resident.

"Yes, ma'am. Male, 27, no health issues, should be an easy appendectomy." She reported back.

Tsunade arched her brow, "What's his name?" she said sternly.

"His name?" She started to panic. The name didn't seem important when all she was doing was assisting in cutting his chest open.

Tsunade shook her head, "If you're going to take the lead on this surgery, you're going to have to know his name, he is still a person, you know."

"Of course," she stammered, shocked by being named the lead as well as the embarrassment of not knowing such a simple piece of information.

"Hatake Kakashi," Tsunade stepped aside. Sakura hadn't realized this before, but Tsunade's position had been obscuring the patient's face. She handed Sakura the scalpel, "Ready to assist Dr. Haruno."

It had been her first lead on a surgery and certainly would go down as one of the oddest in her career despite its simplicity. When Tsunade offered her the scalpel, she almost declined, but the second it was in her hand, she quickly got over her anxiety. She forgot she had seen him on TV just the night before and subsequently touched herself to his perfectly sculpted body. At that moment, she was Dr. Haruno, and nothing else matters except her patient, no matter how hot he was. For that, she was happy; it would have been a shame to turn down her first lead on a surgery, especially one that turned out so successfully. However, Sakura soon realized why Tsunade had offered the position to her. An old drinking buddy of hers was in town, and she didn't want to deal with the paperwork afterward. Sneaky old woman.  
As Sakura filled out the final form, she heard a knock on her office door. Sakura stood up, needing to stretch her legs anyways, and opened the door. "Hinata, what's up?"

The quiet nurse pushed her hair behind her ear, "Hatake is waking up, some of the nurses and other patients recognized him, so we moved him into a private room."

"Ah, very well then," strange to think that just forty-eight hours ago, she would have no idea why he would have people gawking over him. She and Hinata started walking down the hall, "So are you a fan Hinata?"

"Oh no," she shook her head. "I mean I know of him, he went to my high school, not at the same time as me, of course, but he's sort of a hometown hero so…" she trailed off.

Sakura hadn't realized he was from Konoha; she wasn't from here, only moving when she started her undergrad but still, she thought she would have heard of him if what Hinata said was true. Especially since she had known an amateur fighter from Konoha, albeit it had been years since she had talked to him. "Is he now?". Hinata Hyuga was her favorite nurse; she was smart and caring; her whole family was doctors. Her cousin had been in Sakura's medical school class, he was nothing short of a genius, and her little sister was interning her right now. She was certainly intelligent enough to get into and through medical school, but she also obviously loved being a nurse. Sakura couldn't help but wonder if her career choice had ever caused tension in her family, hopefully not.

Hinata stopped them in the room, "He's in here," she opened the door.

He was sitting in bed in a surgical gown, wearing a mask similar to what she would wear in surgery, over his mouth. She also noted a faint scar over his left eye; it looked old. "Good evening Mr. Hatake. My name is Dr. Haruno, and this Nurse Hyuga. We didn't have the pleasure of meeting before, but I was the doctor who performed your surgery."

"Yo," he waved one hand up.

"Would you like any food or water?" Hinata interjected.

"Yeah, that'd be great." Last he remembered, he was home with Genma. He was bragging about his latest date, and out of nowhere, Kakashi hit the floor. He was writhing in pain, which as someone whose job it was to get into fights, was cause for alarm. Genma had caused an ambulance, and he ended up here. Even in pain, he knew Genma would have been jealous of his first hot doctor, a blonde with enormous breast but now he'd have even more to brag about with an adorable nurse feeding and bathing him and a second, even hotter pink-haired doctor. Apparently, in Konoha, your appendix bursting wasn't all bad.


	2. A Hell of a Drug

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol not going to lie I have a lot fo this story already written. I'm hoping to have it all done in the next couple of weeks. *knock on wood*

The painkillers he took shortly before the two women walked in were starting to hit him. He didn’t really like drugs; he barely even drank. He liked to treat his body like a temple as an athlete, but his side just hurt so fucking much once he woke up. They were strong. For the first time in years, he had felt his body relax, which was kind of nice, he had to admit. But soon he felt his head start to swirl, similar to when he was drunk, but it wasn’t a bad thing. He was quite happy and content with all things considered. And now here he was with a super hot doctor about to take care of him. “Mr. Hatake, how are you feeling?” Sakura asked, taking a seat beside him. 

He stared into her shiny green eyes. She was so pretty, especially up close. “Oh,” he wasn’t sure how long he had been staring, “Sorry, I think the pain killers kicked in.” He knew he should have looked away at something else, but he couldn’t bring himself to do such a thing, “Wow, your eyes are beautiful.”

Patients flirting with her wasn’t anything new. She was a young female doctor, and it generally happened at least once a shift. Once in a blue moon, someone pinched her butt or attempted to grab her breast, but it was usually as harmless as telling her how beautiful her eyes were. Except usually, the patient was over fifty, and she hadn’t made herself cum to his image only a few days ago. It had to be the painkillers. They relaxed one’s body, and that sometimes included their tongue. “Thank you,” she punished herself a little for thanking him. Usually, she would just ignore a comment like that, but she did feel a few butterflies when he said it. “But you didn’t answer my question, how do you feel?” 

“Kakashi,” he still felt hypnotized by those eyes but managed to collect himself enough to at least pretend he wasn’t staring at her so intently, “I want you to call me Kakashi. And I’m better now that you’re here.” She saw the smile lines curve even underneath the mask.  
“Okay, Kakashi,” she smiled back, not knowing how to respond. On the one hand, he was probably as high as a kite. On the other did the saying ‘drunk minds speak sober thoughts’ apply to painkillers? If it did, was someone like him attracted to someone like her. She forced the thoughts out of her brain. It was ridiculous to think like this about a patient. “I’m going to try and get you out of here on Friday morning. So you’ll only be stuck with me for the next 32 hours.” Oddly enough, since she was pulling an extra-long shift, she would also be leaving that morning. 

“I don’t mind being stuck with you,” There was a sober part of Kakashi that wanted to kill him for acting like a lovesick puppy just because she was a pretty girl. Usually, he was surrounded by scantily clad ring girls and fans who threw themselves at him. He appreciated the sight and even slept with a few of them when he felt horny or lonely. He wasn’t sure if he could recall a single one of their names. Not that he wanted to. But here he was lusting after a short skinny girl in black scrubs and a lab coat. Not just lusting, though, he wanted to take her dinner. Hell, he’d make her dinner. What the fuck was going on with him. 

Sakura sighed, “While I appreciate the sentiment Kakashi, I want you on bed rest for the next two weeks. After that, you may ease into more physical activity.” She continued, not noticing the wicked grin on Kakashi’s face as she said the word physical. Alternatively, Kakashi felt like a teenager making the word physical so sexual in his head. Maybe it was the pink hair. “And I understand you’re an MMA fighter?” Kakashi nodded, “Six weeks before you’re anywhere near a gym, understand?”

Her gaze suddenly intensified onto him. If he had seen that look in the ring, he might be scared. “Yes, ma’am,” but, in this setting, he was a little turned on. “Wait,” he thought about it a little longer, “Six weeks before I fight, or do you mean six weeks before I can train?”

“Six weeks before any fighting, sparring or otherwise. You can do light workouts at around the two to three-week mark but take it easy, okay?” Her intensity softened to genuine concern. “I know that fighting is your career, but pushing yourself now is just going to make everything worse for you in the long run.” She had seen right through him. He wanted to get back to training as soon as possible, but he look in her eyes would probably haunt him if he tried anything for the next six weeks.

“You know, I’ve been fighting since I was eighteen, and I’ve never been in the hospital longer than a couple of hours. I always figured I’d end up here for something serious, but I never thought it would be for something so lame.” The whole situation wasn’t ideal, but he wasn’t sure why he complained; usually, when things sucked, he just kept it in. These loose lips were going to get him in trouble; he knew it. 

She started laughing, and he was further entranced. It was as beautiful as her eyes. “Well, I wouldn’t call your internal organs about to explode lame, but that’s an impressive record. I wonder, though,” she gave him a coy grin, “Should you have had longer stays in the hospital before now and you’ve just been too stubborn to come?”

He nodded his head back and forth, pretending to think. “Maybe. Also, I like the imagery of internal organs exploding, sounds cooler.”

Was she flirting with a patient right now? A patient she had been inside of only a couple of hours ago? Of course, it was harmless, but part of her felt like she should lose her job over it. But that might also be because two days ago, she had touched herself to the idea of him fucking her. “Speaking of which. This doesn’t have anything to do with your surgery, but as your doctor, I would like to recommend you not be an MMA fighter officially, it’s dangerous.” She threw her hands up, “All I’m going to say about that.”

Rolling his eyes, Kakashi replied, with a slight annoyance in his voice, “Yeah, I’ve heard it before, doc, but I appreciate you sparing me the long lecture.”

“What’s with the mask?” she had meant to ask since she walked into the room.

“Oh,” he pulled it down, forgetting he was even wearing it. “the nurse offered it to me, and I took it. Seemed hygienic?” Sakura almost swooned once he took off the mask. His face was tiny on the TV screen at the bar, and when you’re doing an abdominal surgery, it’s not like there’s much focus on the face. Additionally, her focus was on his chest both times, albeit for two entirely different reasons. But his face was gorgeous. On top of that, the small black beauty mark on his chin made her weak. “Doc?” He noticed an uncomfortably long silence. He didn’t connect it to him, revealing his face, though.

“Oh yeah, sorry. Long day,” she lied. “I mean, if you want to wear it, you can, but it’s not necessary. You’re a healthy young man in a private room.” Indeed he was, she thought before pulling her head out of the gutter. “Anyways, just let someone know if you feel any pain or nausea. We’ll have another meeting at your discharge to talk about your treatment plan.”

“And that meeting,” he paused, trying not to look her in the eyes, “it’ll be with you?”

“Yeah, we’ll probably have it that morning before I leave. So we’ll get out at the same time,” His eyes wandered to the side than the ceiling, which allowed her to admire him, if only for a second.

“Wait- So are you going to be here until Friday morning too?” he asked, now the concerned one of the two.

“Yeah,” she had gotten that look before, “It’s common for surgical residents to be here thirty hours, sometimes more, at a time. I’m going over how many hours I’m allowed to be here a month. But keep it a secret, and I can see you off,” Her voice became more hushed as she finished her sentence. “But don’t worry If I pull this many hours, I get a mandatory twenty-four hours before I can come back.” She decided it would be best not to include ‘unless she was paged back for an emergency’ people tend to worry when they find out the hours’ doctor’s work. 

“Ah, it must be hard to have a personal life with a schedule like that- dating and friends, I mean,” and with that, the conversation went from harmless flirting to something a little more tension-filled.

The unspoken, but sometimes spoken, rule that doctors shouldn’t delve into their personal lives with patients. But no matter how hard she tried to resist, she found her words spilling out, “I don’t date much.”

“Oh,” was all Kakashi could muster at her response.

There was another silent moment. This one, however, was much harder to break. She had to think of something quick, “And when I do, you ruin it.” While she tried to play it off as witty and playful, she regretted the words the second she said them.

“Excuse me?” He wasn’t often at a complete loss during a situation, especially one involving a woman. He was also pretty sure it wasn’t the painkillers confusing him this time. 

She hid an exasperated sigh, no choice but to explain. “Two nights ago, I was on a second and last date. He took me to a bar and watched your fight more than me,” she gave a light laugh, “I mean, the first date was pretty bad too, so I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“Fucking idiot,” he scoffed.

“Excuse me?” She thought he was talking to her.

“You’re date; he’s an idiot.” He looked down at his lap, “Why would anyone want to watch me when they have someone as beautiful as you to look at.” He meant it but was worried that he would find himself with a new doctor the next day.

Beautiful. Not a word Sakura associated with herself, especially at work. Would he still call her that if he knew her scrubs hadn’t been washed in three days? Probably not. Right? Before either of them could say another word, Hinata walked in. Sakura hoped, unaware of the tension now running strong in the room. “I have some veggie soup and bread. You’ll want to keep to light foods for the next couple of days,” she handed him the tray.

***  
Sakura quickly excused herself from his room once Hinata came in. That thirty-minute conversation was single-handedly the most unprofessional moment of her career. She was 27, with a career, she was once even engaged, and a perfect stranger was making her feel butterflies in her stomach. Luckily the rest of the night was relatively calm and routine, putting the intensely awkward conversation out of her head until she went to take a nap in the break room.

The second she put her head on her pillow, her mind flooded back to the conversation, replaying it several times in her head. All she could remember was beautiful. When she tried to close her eyes, she flashed back to the images of his match a few days ago, the same ones that had made it impossible for her not to touch herself later that night.

She was alone in the breakroom was a rarity. She could do it, relieve some of her tension, but she was already feeling incredibly guilty masturbating to a patient, and she didn’t need to add to it. Luckily she had decided against it because she heard the doorknob turn. “Oh, hello, Dr. Haruno,” Hinata bowed her head ever so slightly in Sakura’s direction.

Sakura sat up, “Come on, Hinata, if we’re not in front of patients, please just call me Sakura, I’d like to think we’re friends at this point.” They had never hung out outside of the hospital, but she had always wanted to. Hinata was not only her favorite nurse to work with but sometimes the only reason she could get through incredibly shitty shifts. “Speaking of which, some friends and I are getting together Saturday night, want to come?”

“Oh,” Hinata’s eyes widen, “That sounds fun, would I be intruding, though?”

Sakura smiled at the shy girl, “Of course not! The more, the merrier.”

“Alright, sounds good then. Will you text me the details Saturday morning?” Sakura nodded and laid back down. Hinata made her way to her locker, changing out of her scrubs and into a skirt and blouse. On anyone else, she would assume they were going out somewhere in that outfit, but Hinata was one of those girls who always dressed incredibly cute. “Oh, before I leave, I feel like I should warn you.”

“Oh yeah? About what?” there was a rock on her stomach. Why was she expecting this to be about Kakashi?

“Mr. Hatake is into you. He might ask you out. I did make it clear to him, though, that doctors can’t date their patients once he’s healed you though, you won’t be his doctor...” she trailed off. “he seems pretty smitten with you.  
There it was. “What makes you say that?”

“I went to clean and change his bandages before he went to bed since I figured he would be asleep for a long time. I left the room to get something, and when I got back, he was on the phone with his friend asking him if he thought it was okay to ask out his doctor.” She did snicker, “He called you amazing.”

“Is that so, well, pain killers can make someone pretty loopy” she tried to sound disinterested and excuse the compliment to her ego but was probably doing a poor job. “Thanks for letting me know, though, I’ll keep an eye on that.”

Part of what made Hinata a good nurse is her ability to be observant- even to people she didn’t know well. It served her well for catching changes in behavior or increased pain levels in patients, but she didn’t need to overhear Kakashi’s phone call to know he was into her. She knew the second they stepped into the room. His eyes fixated on her was adorable, and he knew that something had happened when she brought him his food, nothing wrong or inappropriate, but something. And seeing Sakura so flustered at her telling her about the phone call was all the proof she needed. She put her hand back on the doorknob and turned it, about to leave but not without some parting word, “Mr. Hatake is pretty cute, Sakura. Remember, he’ll only be your patient for about six weeks.”  
Sakura just gave her a wave, too shocked by the usually quiet girl’s boldness to provide a good response. As the door shut, she tried to get at least five hours of sleep. She got about two before being paged about a multiple car crash.

***

“Well, I fucked up,” Kakashi groaned to his friend.

“What could you have possibly done in the thirty minutes since you hung up.” On the line was Genma, it was hard to say if Genma was his best friend, but he was defiantly his closest at this point in his life, them being roommates and all that, as well as Genma, being his manager.

“The nurse heard me tell you about the doc. She made it very clear if she went out on a date with me while I’m her patient, she could lose her job. And I’m her patient for at least the next six weeks.” He had officially resigned himself to failure.

“Okay, so go out with her in six weeks, what’s the issue?” Kakashi tried not to make it evident that he hadn’t put two and two together. He blamed the drugs and exhaustion. He could just ask her out once he was healed up. Idiot, he called himself silently, “So was the nurse hot?” Genma, of course, added. 

“She’s cute, not my type, but she’s sweet and some guy’s type, I’m sure,” he shook his head and changed the subject. He knew better than to encourage Genma. “And there is no issue- I guess… it’s just weird, I mean, she was literally inside my chest earlier today.” If anything more came from their relationship, it would undoubtedly be an interesting ‘how we met’ story.

The line was silent. Kakashi assumed because Genma was trying to figure out some innuendo to respond with. “Damn. She got inside of you before you got inside her. Rough buddy,” he fell apart into laughter on the last words.  
“How’s Pakkun?” Again, not wanting to encourage him. 

“He’s good, I just walked him, and he’s asleep now lazy dog.” It was times like this he was glad Genma was his friend. See, Genma knew that even when Kakashi was in intense pain about to go into surgery, he should leave him in one of his least favorite places on earth to take care of the dog. “I should give you painkillers more often,” Genma noted before ending the conversation. 

“And why’s that?” He almost didn’t want to ask. 

“You’re a lot more interesting when you’re high- less grumpy and way sappier,” he teased. But he knew better than to give Kakashi any time to respond to that observation. “I’ll come by tomorrow to check on you. See if you can figure out what time that hot doctor is going to check on you, I want to see if she’s worth the hype.”

Kakashi rolled his eyes, too tired to yell at him for being an asshole. “Alright, see you tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly high Kakashi is just retired Kakashi change my mind.


	3. A Full Day of Her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have a rough draft of this story up to like chapter 10 and this was by far the hardest one to write. It ended up being rewritten three times! But yeah, I couldn't resist writing high Kakashi one more time. But don't worry, he's going to be an emotionally stunted dork after this.

It was 10 am. Probably the longest Kakashi had slept in since high school. As he slowly woke up, his eyesight was still incredibly blurry, unusual but given he had surgery yesterday, not too surprising. In front of him was a girl with long black hair. He swore he had seen her before, but he couldn’t place it for a moment. “Nurse Hyuga?” he sat up, slowly rubbing his eyes.

The girl gave a nervous laugh, “Dr. Hyuga. Nurse Hyuga is my older sister.” As his eyes adjusted, he realized her hair was dark brown compared to her sister’s black hair, but the differences stopped there.

“Oh, sorry, I’m a bit groggy.” He stretched up but cringed once he realized his side still hurt—a lot.

Hanabi noticed, “Be careful, you don’t want to reopen that wound. Dr. Haruno would lecture us both if you did, and keep in mind, she has to be nice to you,” she laughed.

“She can’t be that bad, patched me up pretty well,” besides some discomfort caused by rolling his body onto the wound, he thought he would be in more pain right now except for right then when he stretched. That did hurt quite a bit.

“Yeah, well, you were the first surgery she’s done by herself, and she’s pretty proud of how well it went.” Kakashi raised his brow, realizing he was a guinea pig. “Shit,” Hanabi looked horrified after realizing she shouldn’t have told a patient that. “She’s assisted a lot, like over a hundred appendectomies, and it’s a pretty simple procedure. Also, she was supervised by an attending-“

Her rambling was pretty cute- did this hospital only employ cute girls? If so, he might start to like it more. “Hey, don’t worry, if anyone asks, I didn’t know that. Besides, I’m alive, aren’t I?”

He saw the wave of relief washing over the young doctor, “Thank you and sorry about that.” He was pretty hot. She knew this before coming in because he was lowkey famous, but there was a charm he gave off to make any girl’s heart flutter. “Oh,” she looked at her clipboard, “Dr. Haruno wanted me to let you know she’ll stop by at around eleven to check on you.”

“Yo deadman!” a voice came from the hallway. Genma was standing in the doorway. The surprise made Hanabi drop the clipboard. “Oh, sorry there doc,” he went to pick up the clipboard that he was responsible for dropping, “my bad.”

Hanabi took the clipboard from the brunette with a toothpick in his mouth. “Oh, thank you,” He’s hot too, was the only thought going through her mind. “So,” she tried to gather herself, “like I was saying, Dr. Haruno, should be in soon. I have to finish my rounds.” She quickly sped out the door.

“She’s cute,” Genma pointed once he was sure she was out of earshot.

Kakashi shrugged, “Yeah, again, if that’s your type. She’s the little sister of the nurse I had yesterday. They look almost like twins.”

“So you’ve had the hot blond doctor that we saw when you got in, a mysterious pink-haired doctor and another hot doctor and nurse sister pair who come to check on you?” Genma shook his head, “Why do I get the feeling this place is wasted on you?” Kakashi smirked. For the next half hour, they talked about what Dr. Haruno had told him the day before. Genma updated him about Pakkun and scolded him for forgetting to buy groceries before his appendix burst. It was his turn. 

They finally heard a knock on the door, “Hello Kakashi,” Sakura walked in. Yesterday Sakura had been worried about checking upon him. Still, after dealing with a car crash where two patients passed away, any sense of horniness and anxiety had turned into exhaustion and depression. “How are we doing this morning?”

He still thought she was beautiful, but she looked tired. Her eyes weren’t nearly as bright as they were last night. He could tell she was faking the still very kind smile. Was it because of him? No, he may be overstepped, but he couldn’t have caused this. “Uh, good, thank you, Dr. Haruno,” He was studying her closely, “some pain right now and a little while I was sleeping but not too bad. I still got plenty of sleep.” Something he wasn’t sure she got. He remembered waking up briefly last night to an ambulance siren and a lot of scurrying outside his door. He quickly fell back asleep, but now he was wondering how bad it was.

“Good,” she gave a softer smile. This one seemed more genuine. “At some time during this meeting, my supervisor might come in. She just wants to check my work, make sure it’s healing properly. Nothing to worry about, I just have a review coming up but feel free to decline if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“No, it’s fine. I know I’m not a doctor, but I think you did a good job,” he tried to cheer her up. 

“If only you were on my review board,” she grabbed the clipboard Hanabi held not long ago. Her brow furrowed upon inspection, “She forgot to take your temperature,” she shook her head.

“That’s my bad doc!” Genma finally chimed in. Honestly, she had barely registered another person in the room. “I accidentally snuck up on her and freaked her out. She seemed pretty flustered after. Genma, by the way. This one’s manager, roommate, and I’d like to think best friend.” Sakura wasn’t exactly his type, but she was still pretty hot, even in this setting. But she was Kakashi’s. He always liked the girl next door type, at least when it came to girls. His taste in men, however, Genma thought was questionable.

“Well, she wants to be a surgeon. She needs to learn not to get flustered and forget,” she said sternly. Genma and Kakashi looked at each other, both feeling bad for Dr. Hyuga. Sakura grabbed the thermometer, stepping closer to him. There was no room in her body for anything sexual or flirty at the moment. Kakashi was well aware of how close her face was to his as she gently placed the thermometer in his ear. In reality, it was only a couple of seconds, but he swore she was only inches from him for eternity. “Good,” she whispered to herself. He tried to hide it, but it made him shutter. A cool feeling went down his spine. He could feel the smallest bit of blood rush to his lower half. Did he just gets turned on while getting his temperature taken? It had been a while since he had had sex, he had been traveling for matches, and he found travel exhausting, especially because Genma made him drive most of the time. On top of everything, he had found his age was starting to catch up with him. He wasn’t taking a beating like he used to. 

“So am I dying?” Kakashi tried to distract himself from both Dr. Haruno’s closeness and him facing his mortality. 

“Not today Hatake,” she let out a sigh, “Sorry,” she perked up after realizing how sighing after that question looked. “You’re fine. I’m just a bit tired. We had a bad car crash came in last night.”

“Oh shit, the one on the interstate? I read about that this morning. It sounded like a lot of people got hurt.” Genma winced, “You good doc?” He also read there were a few victims who died in surgery. 

She just shrugged, trying to be as indifferent as possible, “Doesn’t matter. We saved more people than we lost, so we call it a win.” It was a very matter of fact response, something she had picked up from Tsunade. The two men looked at each other again, a little shocked. It also made Kakashi sad. He thought he was jaded. “Alrighty, take off the gown, I need to check the incision site.”

“It’s kind of the only thing I’m wearing,” he looked a little embarrassed. 

“Oh,” Sakura went to a cabinet and pulled out a pair of long pants, “Dr. Hyuga was supposed to offer this to you. I’m sorry I sent her alone. It’s her first week. We were spread so thin from the crash, and she was the only person available. I came straight from the operating room.”

“It’s fine,” he took the pants from her, “She was nice at least. Thanks for squeezing me in,” it was hard to believe she could be so kind and calm after cutting into someone not long ago. She was certainly something. He had never met someone he wanted to know everything about; usually, he was content minding his own business; actually, he preferred it. Getting to know people was usually a slippery slope for him. 

“Anytime,” she turned around, at the doorway, she stopped, “Just knock when you’re ready.” She closed the door. 

Genma gave him the biggest shit-eating grin. “Dude, you’re in love with this girl.”

“Excuse me?” He slowly got out of bed, wincing only slightly at the movement of his stomach. Sure he liked her, but love was going a little too far. Honestly, even liked seemed too far. He had known this girl for less than 24 hours.

“You heard me. I’ve never seen you be so… sweet?” He tried to find the right word. “No offense, but you’re usually kind of an ass to girls. I’m shocked you ever get any.”

He rolled his eyes, “I’m not an ass to girls. I’m just not interested in anything but sex, and I’m always clear about that. Also, this is my doctor.” He slipped the pants on and pulled the gown off. “Knock on the door for me.” Genma found it best not to argue and knocked on the door. 

Sakura came in, followed by a doctor wearing a slim black dress and a lab coat over it. She had short black hair, and Genma couldn’t keep her eyes off her. “Mr. Hatake, this is my supervisor Dr. Kato.” Shizune usually didn’t look this good, but she was overseeing several reviews today. “Dr. Kato, this is the patient Kakashi Hatake and his friend Genma.”

Before Kakashi could speak, Genma slid in and extended his hand, “Nice to meet you, Dr. Kato.”

She shook his hand, “Nice to meet you too,” She thought he was cute but brushed him off. She barely had the time today to meet with patients, let alone flirt. “Mr. Hatake. I’m just going to take a look at your sutures and look for signs of infection.” She turned to the sink by his bed and washed her hands. Then put gloves on while Sakura took her turn, washing her hands before hunching over and joining Shizune in examining her work. The two women observed for a minute before discussing something- Kakashi couldn’t make out what they were saying. He was entirely too distracted, giving a panicked look at Genma. Here he was shirtless with two beautiful women staring at his lower chest. He felt like his stomach took a beating, which was annoying this morning but now he was pretty sure the pain was the only thing saving him from getting an erection. 

Dr. Kato finished up and gave him the all-clear. She and Dr. Haruno left together, apparently to check on some of the crash patients. But Haruno had promised to come to check on him later that evening. 

“Dude, this hospital is wasted on you. Do you think I could make my appendix burst?” Genma looked to his friend, hopefully. 

Genma had stayed around for another hour. They ate lunch, watched shitty TV. But he had to get on with the day, leaving Kakashi alone with his thoughts. He had his favorite book with him, thanks to Genma, but after a couple of hours, he had to put it down. He didn’t want Dr. Haruno to ask him what Make Out Tactics was about. As the day went on and he was slightly more active, the pain in his side worsened, so Hinata came by to give him some painkillers. Not as many as the day before but enough that he could at least lie down comfortably. He turned the TV off, not being able to take any more shitty reality shows or depressing news. “Fuck I want to go home,” he said to himself. 

“Sixteen more hours, and I’ll send you home,” Sakura opened the door. “Sorry, I should have knocked, but the door was already opened, and I could hear you.” She stepped in the room with makeup on, a red dress that hit her knees, and a pair of comfortable heels. Of course, over all of it was her lab coat, which somehow made the whole outfit even sexier, at least in Kakashi’s opinion. 

If he were hooked to a heart monitor, it would have indeed registered the skip in his pulse when he saw her. “Hot date tonight, Dr. Haruno?” He asked, feeling like a complete idiot asking. 

“Oh no, I’m on my way to my review. And if I hide in your room for a little bit, no one will ask me to do anything, and I just might be on time. This is the only dress I have left that’s not bloodstained, and I’d like to keep it that way.” During her nap, she had a dream about him. She was looking at his chest again, similar to this morning, but Shizune and Genma were gone, and there was a lot more touching. Shameful for sure, but luckily the stress of the impending review was a good distraction. 

He was a little too relieved that she wasn’t dressing like this for some guy. “Ah, well, you look good. Red suits you,” he found himself wanting to stroke her pink hair. It looked so soft. What the fuck was this girl doing to him. 

“Oh,” she blushed, but she hoped the makeup covered it. “Thank you.” She looked at the chair beside his bed, “Mind if I sit and take another look.” She probably didn’t need to be so attentive to the incision site, but it was her first lead on a surgery, and she wanted to make sure it was perfect. At least that’s what she told herself. He nodded, and she sat leaning into his side. 

“So you promise I can leave tomorrow?” Twice now, today, the most beautiful woman she had ever met had her hands all over him. And this time she was wearing a dress and heels. He had a weakness for heels for sure. 

“So quick to get away from Kakashi?” She teased, at this point, just admiring her work and nothing else- of course. 

“I promise not, it’s been nice having a pretty doc fussing over me,” he teased back. Their eyes locked for a moment. Neither of them sure what to say next.

“Sakura.” She finally broke the silence. “Call me Dr. Haruno if I’m with another hospital employee, but if we’re alone, you can just call me Sakura.” She smiled softly, there was a reason patients didn’t call doctors by their first name, a degree of separation, but she figured if she had masturbated and had a sexy dream about him, that degree was long gone anyways. 

“How many more times do you think we’ll be alone?” She thought he was teasing again. He most certainly was not. 

“Are you always this much of a flirt, or am I just special?” She hoped she was special. 

She was special. “I’m never a flirt. Ask Genma. I’m bad at it. He says I only have a sex life because I’m an athlete on TV, and I agree.”

She laughed at his answer. It was probably right to an extent, but he seemed perfectly capable of flirting to her. “So, I’m just special?” To that, he just shrugged. Sakura figured it was better just to drop it. “If you want more alone time, I could always recommend we extend your stay,” she smiled a little more sinisterly this time. 

“I’d rather just take your home.” Kakashi wasn’t sure how that comment was going to go over. Feeling exhausted, sore all over, and doped up on painkillers had taken away any filter he had. 

She wanted to hit him. But she also wanted to take him up on his offer. However, hitting a patient was frowned, and having sex with him could lead to losing her license. She settled on using her words instead. “You exhaust me, you know. I didn’t feel this tired after dealing with the car crash.”

“Sorry, Sakura, I’m painfully bored in this room and honestly a little high from these painkillers. Anyway, you could forgive me?” He smiled up at her. 

She shook her head, “God, I should have given you to another doctor after our first conversation,” she half-joked. “But yes, I’ll forgive you.” They talked for a little longer, Kakashi tried to choose his words more carefully, knowing he was close to overstepping. It was odd that they had met only a day ago and already could so easily carry a conversation. They went off on an incredibly long tangent about their love of overly salty foods that usually ended in their friends, giving them health lectures. However, Kakashi conceded that the lectures were probably worse for Sakura since most of her friends were doctors. 

“Call Genma and tell him to pick you up at 10 am tomorrow. You can’t leave unless someone picks you up.” She checked her watch. She still had some time to kill luckily. 

“You gonna see me off?” He asked, hopefully. 

“Of course,” she ran her hand through his hair. “Sorry,” she pulled away, “That was inappropriate of me.” She didn’t feel in control of her hand for a moment. The atmosphere just felt so tender. 

He shrugged, trying to hide his excitement, “Let me call you beautiful one more time, and we’ll call it even?” She rolled her eyes but agreed. He leaned in closer to her, pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, “Sakura, you are extremely beautiful.” Beautiful was usually a word he avoided when he talked to girls. He found it had an unintended emotional impact when compared to using hot or sexy. But he didn’t mind with her. He wanted more than anything for him to be on her mind for the rest of the night. 

That was it. Her world just came crashing down. The literal man of her dreams was calling her beautiful in the most genuine way imaginable. Not even her ex-fiance had made her feel as beautiful as she did at that moment. But obviously, she couldn’t let it last. “Look at the time,” she glanced at her watch. “I’ve got to get to my review.”

“Oh,” the same in tone was a little too fast for Kakashi’s doped up brain. “Well, good luck. I’m sure you’ll be fine.” She waved, practically running out of the door. He waved back, but there was no way she saw.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol anyone wanna guess who her ex-fiancee is? Yes, Kakashi is bi and we'll come back to that a little later :) Also thanks for all the kind comments lately! I still get super nervous when I post chapters but it's been really encouraging hearing your guy's feedback!


	4. Back to the Real World

8 am, Kakashi looked back at the clock in his room. Still later than he liked waking up but better than 10. He was glad to be going home. He missed his bed and his dog. But his hospital wasn’t all bad. Apparently, Konoha General got all of their doctors from a fucking modeling agency. And he met Sakura. He wasn’t sure what it was about her, but he had been a goner since she walked through the door. I mean, she was beautiful, but beyond that, something about her being just made him feel calm and relaxed. Even when she’s was flustered, tired, or annoyed with an intern. But as he got to know her- talk to her, he realized how strong she was, even when he could tell she was devastated by the losses from the crash and lack of sleep it caused. Somewhere she found the will to keep going to help people, even an asshole like him. He wished he could be more like that. Whenever something terrible happened to him, he just shut down. 

Maybe that was why he wanted to understand her so desperately. But more than that, part of him also wanted to take care of her as she had for him. She seemed to be so focused on everyone around her. He wanted to see what she was like focusing on herself, maybe on him. When she wasn’t elbow-deep in a chest cavity or lecturing patients, what did she do? Did she like dogs? It was a genuinely insatiable curiosity. He looked back at the clock, 9 am. Had he spent an hour thinking about Sakura? This line of thoughts had been plaguing him since she left last night. He hoped leaving the hospital might help. 

“Morning, Kakashi,” speak of the devil. She knocked while entering. It was odd. She wasn’t wearing scrubs or a dress today, just jeans and a t-shirt. No even a lab coat. Although it did hit him, she mentioned she was leaving the hospital this morning.

“Mornin’,” he sat up properly, his hair probably looked terrible, so he tried to at least rake his hand through it. “How’d the review go.”

She shrugged, “Well, I think. I’ll know later today, hopefully.”

“Hmm,” He got a better look at Sakura and noticed two cups of coffee in her hand, “One of those for me by chance?” 

“Oh yeah,” she handed him one, “I have some creamer and sugar in my pocket, want one?” He shook his head and took a sip of the shitty coffee, almost made him feel like he was back home drinking Genma’s attempts. “Can you move the blanket?” She set her coffee down and washed her hands, “I want to do one last check.” He did what he was told, and she sat down in the chair she was at last night. She observed and ran her around the edge of her stitch, “Does it hurt still?”

“A little,” he admitted. Although it was hurting him more, not being able to kiss her. Still, the feeling of her fingers on his chest was nice. 

“I could look at this all day,” she said mostly to herself, admiring her work. 

“Uh, Sakura? What do you mean by that?” Was she flirting with him now? If she was, he thought he would like it, but now it was just giving him anxiety. 

“Relax,” she rolled her eyes, “I’m admiring my hard work, not yours.” Mostly true, but she had to appreciate at least the V his muscles created. Luckily she didn’t have to cut on it. That would have been a damn shame. “So treatment plan. I want to see you once a week for a check-up or whenever the pain gets bad. I’ll send you home with some painkillers, and every day you better clean and redress that wound. Also, be careful in what you eat, nothing heavy or spicy, and no alcohol.” She looked down at her notes. “Also, you know the speech about exercise, but would you like me to repeat it?” He shook his head, silently thanking her for not making him listen to it again. “Here you go,” she pulled out some sheets from a folder and gave it to him, “Here’s what I said. And I have a copy to give to Genma.”

“Sakura? Do you not trust me?” he stretched his arms up. 

The way his body looked when he did so usually flustered her. Still, after successfully dealing with a car crash and nailing her review, she was feeling a little cockier than usual, “Absolutely not.”

“Clever girl,” he looked down in her lap, “Jeans today? Will the surprises never stop?”

“Oh yeah,” she forgot she had changed out of her scrubs. “I hate leaving the hospital in scrubs if I can help it, they get kind of gross.” 

“Fair enough. Oh, and I have to apologize in advance for something.” He imagined his high self would have retorted with something along the lines of she should just not wear anything at all. But sadly, he was back to his old self.

“God, what did you do,” she glared. All she wanted to do was go home, and she swore if he interfered with that, the next six weeks would be rough on him. 

“Hey hey,” he shook his hands, “I didn’t do anything. Genma is bringing another friend of mine, and I have to warn you he’s super loud and excitable. Honestly, I’m not entirely sure why he would bring him to a hospital.”

“Hmmm, maybe he just wanted to check in on a friend?” Kakashi gave a small scoff to the suggestion before swinging his legs over the other side of the bed. He pulled on a black shirt Genma had brought him earlier. “I’ll miss having you around Kakashi,” Sakura added quietly.

She wasn’t sure where the comment came from, “Oh, don’t start missing me. I’ll be in your hair for at least another six weeks.” He looked down, “I think Genma is bringing me an extra pair of clothes but mind if I steal these pants? I don’t feel like doing the required amount of moving to change.”

“Well, you’re not supposed to,” she shrugged, “but I’m not going to stop you. I can’t imagine anyone would.” He moved over to the sink, splashing water on his face and attempting to fix his hair a little more in the mirror. “Hot date tonight?” She mused, watching the tiny flexes of water drip down the sides of his face; how he could manage to look like a Greek god this soon after surgery was indeed a medical mystery to Sakura. 

“Cute doc,” he lifted his shirt to pat dry his face. Surprisingly oblivious of Sakura’s lingering eyes. It was a shame he didn’t do it on purpose. He would have loved watching for the effect it had on her. He let the shirt fall back down and scanned the room, checking on what he would have to pack up soon, “How do you like your coffee?” He asked, gathering his wallet and phone. 

“Just with cream and sugar,” she stared down at her coffee for a second, “I also prefer it iced, but I don’t think the hospital is planning on expanding it’s coffee options anytime soon.”

“Hmm, so would you say you like it, sweet?” He further pried, now making Sakura suspicious. 

She placed one hand on her hip and wore an exacerbated angry expression on her face, “I feel like you’re planning something. What is it?”

Her expression caught him off guard. It was adorable; he couldn’t help but laugh while he shook his head. “I appreciate the thought, but this coffee is somehow worse than the shit Genma, and I make. There’s a good place by my apartment. I’ll bring you some at my next check-up.” He still finished the black coffee in his hand, cringing at that last sip. 

“Dr. Haruno?” Hanabi peered into the room, “Can I ask you something?” Kakashi could tell by her voice she was a little nervous.

Sakura sighed and rubbed her temples. “Dr. Huyga, I’ve spent over thirty hours here, and I got off an hour ago. Unless someone is actually about to die this very second, think very carefully about what you’re about to ask me.” Kakashi couldn’t help but snicker at her tired response. However, the knowledge that she was off and free to go home was news to him. Did that mean she stayed behind just to say goodbye to him?

Hanabi stayed silent for a moment, “Nevermind,” She saw Kakashi looked like he was just itching to leave this room finally. “Are you getting out, Mr. Hatake?”

“Yeah, the doc gave me the all-clear,” he leaned against the counter on the side of the room. Eager to leave the hospital but not the pink-haired girl standing next to him.

“Dr. Haruno, would you like me to get a wheelchair for him?” She looked up, hoping she was helpful. Kakashi winced at the idea of having to leave in one of those things. All he had done the past two days was sit- he was sick of it. 

Sakura could see his face go sour at the thought of a wheelchair. “It’s okay, Dr. Hyuga. I put in his paperwork that he should walk small distances after being in bed so long, I think he can handle a 5-minute walk to the car.” She looked up to get his approval. 

“Yes,” he couldn’t say it faster enough, “Thanks for that,” he smiled back. 

Hanabi was very different from her sister, but if there was one thing they had in common, it was their ability to read people and situations. A sixth sense almost, her whole family was pretty good at it. The way they locked eyes as he said thank you to her almost made her feel like she should leave and give them some time alone before she had a chance to act though a loud, piercing voice entered the room. “Kakashi! How you doing, buddy!” Sakura turned around, it took her a second to realize where she recognizes the voice and face from, but once it hit her, she felt like she had been hit by a train. “Sakura-chan?” The voice became quieter. 

“Naruto...” her voice trailed off. 

“You two know each other?” Genma was the first to interject, walking in after Naruto, followed by Hinata and a tall, burly man with a beard. 

“Yeah!” Naruto tackled Sakura with a hug. Kakashi raised his brow to the sight. He knew Naruto was more friendly than the average person, but he had to resist the urge to pull them apart, “We grew up together!” 

This shocked everyone in the room, “Yeah,” Sakura began to explain, “We grew up in the same hometown, we’ve been in school together since kindergarten. Well until I went to medical school, that is. It’s been a while, Naruto,” she smiled at him. They had gone through a lot together, sometimes the only thing that got her through some dark times was that infectious smile of his. 

“Yeah! Ages! Your number still the same?” She nodded. “Okay, I’ll text you, a bunch of us are going out Saturday, wanna come?”

“Oh,” she looked over at Hinata, who gave her a faint smile, finding the whole interaction amusing, “I’m actually going out with some friends on Saturday, but maybe we can meet up later that night. We’ll talk tomorrow?” 

Before Naruto could respond, the man with the beard interrupted, “Naruto, your ability to make friends anywhere you go is truly incredible.” He looked over at Dr. Hyuga, which was fair since she was the only one wearing a lab coat. “Are you his doctor?”

“No, I’m just an intern. Dr. Haruno is Mr. Hatake’s primary physician,” she pointed over to Sakura, who gave a wave. 

“Hello, sorry, I was actually about to head home, I normally look more professional.” Kakashi was still in a little bit of shock at her and Naruto’s interaction, but her comment about looking professional just made him think of what she looked like before her review. He found himself dissociating from the conversation and daydreaming about how good her legs looked in heels.

“Nice to meet you,” he shook her hand, “My name’s Asuma sorry if we’re overcrowding the room. We figured it would take three of us to force him to use his elevator when he got home and not go up three flights of stairs.” He gave a hearty laugh, looking for the annoyed expression on Kakashi’s face. 

“Oh, no worries. I was a little worried about Kakashi-” she stopped herself, “I mean Mr. Hatake, not taking care of himself after surgery, but it makes me feel better to know he has all these friends to look after him.” Luckily for her, everyone in the room who wasn’t oblivious- so everyone except Naruto- chose to ignore her slip up. Only Genma and Hinata were slipping a small smile in their respective friend’s direction. 

Sakura explained his treatment plan to his friends, who listened very carefully, emphasizing when he was allowed to go back to the gym and fighting. She handed Genma a paper copy. “Mr. Hatake,” Tsunade knocked on the open door, “Hm, a full house I see,” she looked around the room. Shizune was behind her. They both looked annoyed at something. “Seems you’re a little popular. You have some fans and cameras outside waiting for you to come out. Where did your pick up park?” She looked up to the group of guys. 

“I parked in the front,” Naurot answered the woman. 

“Okay, why don’t you pull the car around to the East wing parking lot,” she could see the look of confusion on his face. “Ms. Hyuga, could you show him how to get from the front to the lot?”

“Of course, Dr. Tsunade.” Hinata blushed a little, struggling to make eye contact with the cute blonde. “Mr. Uzumaki, you can follow me.”

“Sounds good, lead the way,” he smiled brightly at her. It was almost blinding. The two left the room. Leaving Tsunade to think about the next step. 

“Okay, whoever is taking Mr. Hatake home needs to go to admin and fill out a few forms.” Genma groaned, sulking his head. Asuma laughed and slapped his hand on his friends back. 

“Come on, I’ll help you, and it’ll only take a couple of minutes.” He was a lawyer, Kakashi’s, specifically, he regularly went through contracts for him and Genma, neither of them had the patience for it. Shizune offered to walk them over, Genma unsurprisingly perked up, leaving Asuma to roll his eyes. 

All that was left was Sakura, Tsunade, Hanabi, and Kakashi, “Dr. Hyuga, why are you here?” Tsunade finally realized her presence. Before she could speak, Tsunade just sighed, “Nevermind, I have a liver transplant to do, want to assist?” She looked back at the young doctor who happily accepted. “Alright, Dr. Haruno, I know you’re off, but do you mind making sure Mr. Hatake here gets to the garage?” It was the garage for the staff, not necessarily intuitive to patients where it was. 

“Yeah, I’ve parked there myself, so I’ll walk them out,” Tsunade nodded and headed out the door while snapping at Hanabi to hurry up. Again the two were alone. “Wow, that was quite the fifteen minutes.” 

Kakashi nodded, “Never would have guessed you and Naruto were childhood friends.” There was a long silence from Sakura. She loved Naruto like a brother, but there was a reason they hadn’t seen each other in over three years. Her friendship with him carried a lot of baggage, and she wasn’t entirely sure how to deal with it. “Sakura? You good?”

“Yeah, sorry, Naruto, and I used to be super close. It was good to see him.” There was a twinge of pain in her voice when she said ‘used.’ He wanted to know what had happened between them. Was Naruto her ex? Naruto dated here and there but had once told him he had never been in a serious relationship. He’d have to try and get it out of Naruto later, for right now, he wanted to make sure her last impression of him today was a good one. 

“Come to my next match,” he realized she was once again getting lost in thought. His heart was beating uncomfortable fast for someone who knew how to keep calm under pressure. He kept running through disaster scenarios of her slapping him or switching with another doctor. Or worst of all, saying no, and she still had to see her for check-ups. 

That was certainly enough to snap her out of her daze, “Your next match? Better not be anytime soon.” 

“No, actually, the match you watched on your date was already going to be my last fight for a few months. Genma thinks my next fight will be in October in Naka. You should come.” He shrugged, trying not to seem too enthused. But it was a bit of a relief that she hadn’t said no right away.

“Naka?” She thought for a moment, “That’s where my parents live. I could stay with them, sounds nice. Although you should be prepared for a long lecture after about how dangerous fighting is after.”

“I promise I’ll pretend to listen,” he leaned against the door frame, “but if staying with your parents doesn’t work out, just let me know. The venue usually gives me a pretty nice hotel room. Not that you have to stay in a hotel room with me,” panic started to rise in his voice. This was a lot easier when he was high. Maybe he should have taken some painkillers this morning.

Up until then, he had been so calm and confident with his words. It was cute to watch his words falter, “Wow, you are a bad flirt.” She thought for a moment, “can I give you an answer a little closer to the date? It’s hard to plan that far ahead but sounds fun.” He nodded and agreed, and with that, his heart started to return to a normal pace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally out of the hospital and the fun can start! I love writing Naruto, he's so fun. Some of my favorite chapters to write are coming up so stay tuned. Also, I watch Boruto for the first time today and saw adult Hanabi was kind of ooc but I'm to lazy to change it so sorry!


	5. Very Slow Dancing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was one of my favorite chapters to write. I swear we're getting closer to the smut! I don't have those tags in for nothing!

Sakura had walked them to the parking garage in relative silence as Genma and Asuma updated Kakashi on what he had missed the past couple of days. Asuma’s newborn started cooing at him, something he was very proud of. Genma had a shitty date with a brunette and asked Sakura if Shizune was single. Sakura answered, “This is a hospital, not a dating site,” she pointed at Genma but also glanced over to Kakashi. 

In the garage, Naruto and Hinata were talking. They seemed to be enjoying whatever conversation they were having. However, it was more Naruto explaining something with big gestures and Hinata watching him wide-eyed. “Oh, hey guys,” Naruto waved them over. Hinata waved too, but Sakura couldn’t help but wonder if she wished they had gotten longer to talk. Maybe she would have to meet up with Naruto on Saturday. Sakura parted from them, waving before unlocking the door to her car. Hinata made her way back up to the hospital floors. 

The guys piled into Naruto's Jeep. As they pulled out, Kakashi was working out in his head the most natural way to bring up Sakura to Naruto. Luckily Genma beat him to it, “So Naruto, what’s up with you and the doc? Did you used to date her or something?”

Kakashi held his breath for his answer, “No,” he laughed at the idea, “Sakura-chan is like my sister. I mean, I think I proposed to her in kindergarten, but that’s where our romantic connection ended. Besides, she was engaged to my best friend.” 

“Do you mean that guy?” Kakashi was surprised to hear Sakura was once engaged. Even more so, though, he had met this best friend. Naruto confirmed who Kakashi was talking about, somewhat reluctantly. He didn’t remember all the details, but not long after he first met Naruto, he remembered him asking Genma for advice on dealing with his two best friends breaking up. It was messy and he felt like he had to choose between the two. Kakashi was a little pissed that apparently, he decided the guy. “Why did they break up?” He forgot to hide the interest in his voice. 

Both Asuma and Genma looked at him. He ignored the judgment in their stares. “I don’t know if I should tell you, ya know? It’s Sakura chan’s personal life.” The answer, while annoying, was at least honorable, Kakashi dropped the subject. 

“Dude, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you care this much about anyone’s personal life, including your own,” Genma noted. It was funny because, for anyone else, this wouldn’t be that weird, but for as long as he had known Kakashi, he was a passive and cold person when it came to anything besides fighting and his dog. He had never seen him get this worked up about a girl before. It was an exciting development. The car stayed quiet while waiting for Kakashi to respond as they were all thinking a similar thing, but he remained silent, opting to stare out of the window instead. 

“So,” Asuma clapped his hand in an attempt to lighten the mood, “No one tell Kurenei this but are all the doctors and nurses in that hospital hot? You’re a lucky man Kakashi.” He joked. It did make Kakashi smile; ever since Asuma’s wedding and his daughter’s birth, he had been a model husband and father, which was good, but it was fun to see a little of the old college days Asuma. 

“Right? Let’s go around and say our favorites,” Genma suggested. We all know Kakashi’s vote,” Kakashi just grumbled and leaned his head against the car door. “Dr. Kato was fine as hell; she’s my choice.”

“I thought that nurse was nice; she was cute too.” Naruto added, “What was her name again?” 

“Hinata,” Kakashi grumbled.

Naruto nodded, thinking back to how cute he thought her smile was. Now all eyes were on Asuma, who hadn’t spoken about another woman since he started dating Kureni, “Okay, okay,” he understood the guys wouldn’t let him leave the car until he gave an honest answer. “That blonde woman who told everyone what to do was pretty hot.”

“Oh, Asuma, you always did like them bossy,” Genma teased. Asuma flicked Genma’s forehead as Naruto pulled up to the guest parking at Kakashi’s house. 

Sakura pulled out from the hospital and started to panic. He had been flirting with her the past two days, but she chalked it up to him being bored and high off painkillers. But it hit her that he invited her to a weekend getaway and even offered a hotel. Did he mean for them to share? “Siri, call Ino on speaker,” the phone range and quickly Ino picked up, her voice radiating from the car’s speakers. “Tell me not to fuck my patient,” she blurted out. 

The other end was silent for a moment, “Okay, so as a professional colleague, I would advise you not fuck a patient you’re actively treating. As your best friend, you better tell me what the fuck is going on.” She sounded a little too excited. 

“I did an appendectomy, first lead, by the way, it went well,” she still had to fit the brag in. “But anyway, he’s super hot and was flirting with me, and he left today, but I think he just invited me to spend a weekend with him in a hotel in Naka. Oh, I also masturbated to him,” she groaned, wanting to smash her head against the wheel. 

“Woah, okay, you need to slow down and back up. So you cut a guy open, thought he was hot, masturbated to him, then he invited you to Naka?” 

“No, I masturbated to him, cut him open, then he invited me,” the whole thing was ridiculous, saying it back. “His name is Kakashi Hatake, he’s an MMA fighter, and I happened to catch one of his matches, and like two days later, he ends up in my OR.”

“Kakashi Hatake? Oh shit. I don’t blame you- that man is incredibly sexy. He almost got me into watching MMA,” she giggled. “I don’t know why you’re freaking out. It sounds like a patient flirted with you, and he was hot, and I don’t hear you complaining, do I?”

“Why does everyone know who this man is except me,” she grumbled, “and no. I mean, he is hot. And I think I flirted back. He called me beautiful twice, and I felt like a fucking teenager again. But I’m going to see him the next six weeks at his follow up appointments. What am I going to do?”

“Nothing until you finish your last appointment, and you get his number. You’re fine, Sakura, you can’t help who you’re attracted to, and you haven’t crossed any lines. Remember when I told you Shikamaru slept with the prosecutions lawyer while they were on trial? And now they’re engaged. Besides, I would hardly call a couple of check-ups being his doctor. Also, isn’t six a lot for an appendectomy?” Ino pointed out. 

“Maybe,” Sakura started to get defensive. “I want to be thorough.”

“Girl, you’ve got it bad. I have a patient coming in but let’s talk on Saturday?” 

It had been a while since Sakura had gone out. Especially to somewhere this nice. Usually, she and Tsunade would go to a bar down the street if they got off simultaneously, and that was about it for her. Except for the odd date here and there, but that was even rarer. But when Ino took her out, it was always an event. They were going to some cool Skytop club and bar with a crazy cover to get in, but Ino got them in for free. One of her patients owned it, Sakura thought, maybe she should go into private practice too. 

In classic Ino fashion Sakura wasn’t allowed to pick her outfit, which would have been jeans and a blouse. While pregaming and getting ready at Ino’s place, she had brought out and outfit for Sakura. It was a tight leather skirt that went down to her knees, a white halter top, and a pair of black heels. Shortly before, they left Hinata, and Tenten met them at Ino’s, and they headed to the bar together. Ino wore a tight purple dress that showed off her breast just as she intended it to. Tenten wore a short black and gold cheongsam, and finally, Hinata was in a white sundress that looked stunning against her long black hair. They all looked hot. They all knew it too. 

“Alright, ladies,” Ino directed as they sat in their booth upon arriving, “So I actually brought you here for a reason!” She pulled out her phone to an email and showed the girls. “I’m getting published in the Journal of New Psychiatry,” she squealed. Hinata was a nurse, and Tenten was a gymnastics instructor, and while they were both brilliant and successful, she wasn’t sure if they were aware of how great of a deal this journal was. “All drinks are on me tonight!” She announced and quickly ordered a round of shots for everyone.

“Congrats Ino,” Sakura stood up to hugged her friend after finishing her shot, “I’m proud of you! This is amazing.”

“Thanks, girl,” Ino squeezed her back. “Drink up, though!”

Hinata and Tenten had hit it off and were talking on the other side of the booth. “Hey, would you mind if I invited Naruto?” Sakura asked, “If you want it to be a girls night, I understand, I just told him I’d ask.”

“Naruto? From KU? I haven’t thought about that kid in years.” Ino narrowed her eyes, “What’s the story there?” 

“He’s friends with Kakashi and showed up at the hospital yesterday to pick him up. He and Hinata were instantly getting along, and I thought it be nice to see him again,” she whispered so Hinata wouldn’t overhear. 

“Invite him!” Ino urged, “You know I’m always down to help my ladies get laid.” Sure this was the first time she had met Hinata, but she was already quite fond of the girl. 

Sakura smiled and texted Naruto the address and that once he got here, Ino would come down and get him in. He replied that he’d be there in thirty. And with that settled, Sakura quickly swallowed her second and third shots deciding to slow down and get a mixed drink. “Hey Ino,” Naruto gave Ino a surprised hug tackle similar to the one he gave Sakura yesterday. The two girls stood up to greet him. 

“Did you pay the cover to get in?” Ino asked after releasing herself from his grip. 

“Well, I was about to text you, but Kakashi got us in,” Naruto explained. 

“Kakashi’s here?” Sakura was regretting the shots she just took. Naruto nodded and explained he was just walking slowly because of his chest. But before Sakura could ask why he came, Naruto noticed Ten Ten, who he hadn’t seen since graduation, and Hinata at the booth behind them. He went and sat next to Hinata and started chatting them up. 

Behind him at a slower pace was Kakashi and Genma. They could see the group and saw Naruto’s tackle before joining the two other girls, “How does Naruto know all these hotties,” Genma whispered to his silver-haired friend. Kakashi shrugged. There was only one girl here he was interested in. Shit. Was he turning into Asuma? The closer he got, the more flushed he could feel his face getting. The outfit left very little to the imagination, he felt like he had a pretty good idea of what her body looked like now, and he liked it. “What’s up, doc!” Genma waved. 

“Me or her?” Ino responded, immediately into the brunette. 

“God, are you a doctor too?” He really couldn’t keep his eyes on anything but her chest until Kakashi hit the bottom of his head. “Ouch!”

Ino giggled, “Well, we’re celebrating, and I’m going to grab another drink. Anyone want anything?” 

The three at the table were too lost in their conversation to respond. And Kakashi shook his head. Genma, however, invited himself to walk over to the bar with her. Leaving the two alone together. “You should be home resting,” Sakura put her hands on her hips. Kakashi just shrugged. She thought about making him go home, but she was off the clock, and arguing sounded like a lot of work. “Well, I better not see a single drink in your hand, Mr. Hatake,” as the words came out of her mouth in a definite slur. 

Naruto had asked Genma if he wanted to come. They hadn’t invited Kakashi initially, assuming he needed to rest, but he insisted on driving. Usually, Genma had to use some underhanded tactics to get him to come out. Now only days after surgery, when he had the perfect excuse to stay in, and he’s volunteering. He felt his body move before he could think when it came to Sakura. 

“Ah,” Kakashi guided her to the other side of the table, and the two sat down. “No worries, I’m strictly DD tonight.” He held up his keys. “Tell me what kind of celebration we’re having. Must be good if you’re already this drunk and wearing that,” he glanced down at her skirt. 

“Ino got published in a super prestigious psychiatry journal. She’s been researching for years for it,” Sakura explained, noting that glance he made at her. “It’s actually fascinating. She worked with a colleague and studied the biochemical effects on neurons after orgasms; the goal is to mimic the response in some way to possible use as an antidepressant.” She was excited talking Ino had been using her as a soundboard the past couple of years about it. However, it then hit her how excited she was talking about orgasms in front of him. 

“Very interesting,” he leaned into his hand, admiring her excitement. He also wondered if she was ever a research subject for this paper. 

“What?” Sakura seemed almost annoyed, “No flirty and obnoxious come back?”

The reaction did take Kakashi by surprise, but the alcohol was probably making her a little more firey. “I haven’t taken any pain killers today. But do you want me to flirt with you, Sakura-chan?” he added an inflection to the chan part sending an unexplainable chill down her spine. 

Could have fooled her. He still seemed like a pretty good flirt. “No- I mean if you want,” she leaned forward with her elbow on the table, but her arm slipped. Luckily she caught herself before she fell out of her chair. However, she saw she did this by grabbing his upper thigh. “Shit sorry,” she looked up, her hand still there. 

“It’s okay,” his eyes widened at the slip. He figured a surgeon would have a little better dexterity, even when drunk. Still, it was cute how embarrassed she looked, “You grab whatever part of me you want.” At that moment, she wanted to kiss him- so badly. Not just kiss, she wanted him to throw her over his shoulder and have his way with her in the bathroom. But two things stopped her, the first was the thought of his stitches breaking, and the second was the sound of Ino and Genma asked the table if anyone wanted to dance. Quickly and hopefully, before anyone saw, Sakura withdrew her hand, trying to forget about the sexually charged moment. Kakashi leaned back and smirked. She was cute when she was horny and drunk.

The whole group wanted to dance. Ten Ten and Ino decided to share Genma, at least until they found a new partner on the dance floor. Naruto asked Hinata if he would dance to him, and the poor girl could only muster a nod. She was so nervous; it was cute because, despite the club like music playing, the pair danced like they were at prom. Sakura was glad that Naruto never changed the wholesome aspect of him. They tried to get Kakashi to dance too, but Sakura shut them down as she had given him explicit instructions not to exert himself for the next couple of weeks. She also declined their invitation making the excuse that she was a little too drunk to enjoy herself on a dancefloor, and she would feel bad leaving Kakashi alone. The girls and Genma grinned, not putting up much of an argument.

They sat by each other, in awkward silence, unsure what to say to each other neither of them had said a word or made a move. Suddenly Sakura felt a rough hand brush her shoulder. She looked over to Kakashi, who bobbed his head over to a group of guys who Sakura did notice staring them earlier in the night. “Sorry, they’ve been looking at you for a while now, and you just didn’t seem like you wanted to deal with it. Want me to take my hand off or keep it around you a little longer?” 

Sakura tried to find the flirty inflection in his question, but it seemed pretty genuine. Almost like something Naruto would offer. But still, he was right, she didn’t want to deal with people right now, and his hand wrapped around her felt good. “A little longer, just so they get the right idea,” she relaxed further into his arm. “Thanks. Sorry if I’m a bit of a downer. I tend to be a sad drunk. But usually, I can hold my liquor a little better than this,” Tsunade would kill her if she saw how drunk she was after only four drinks, “but it’s been a while, and I didn’t sleep much after I left the hospital.” It was always hard for her the first night after a long shift to get any decent sleep, especially if she was involved in a surgery where the patient didn’t make it. Two people died the night of the crash. One was a small boy. Luckily she assisted on an older man who survived but still, it’s never fun to be in a room with a surgeon who lost a kid. Hopefully, tonight would be better. 

“I don’t mind. I’m just here because-” he honestly wasn’t sure why he agreed to come. Probably to see her, but now didn’t seem like the right time to flirt. “Well, Genma thinks I should take this break from training to getting out more. He’s afraid I’ll grow old and alone with ten dogs.”

Sakura laughed at the mental image. “You know Ino has that same fear for me, but instead of dogs, it’s several bottles of rose. She thinks I’m an alcoholic in training.” Kakashi looked down, a little confused; Sakura didn’t seem like the type to him. She could read the confusion on his face and explained further, “My mentor, Dr. Senju is a terrible drunk. Don’t get me wrong, she would never perform a surgery drunk but let’s just say the higher-ups know not to put her on call. She’s brilliant though,” she lingered on her sentence. “But if I have to perform surgery on both my brother and boyfriend in a war zone and lost both of them, I’d be fucked up too.”

“Shit,” The blonde surgeon had seemed pretty put together to him, but he probably seemed put together to perfect strangers. Looks could undoubtedly be deceiving. 

Sakura turned her head towards him; it was now comfortably resting against his forearm while his hand naturally adjusted to the open back of her shirt. Her skin was so soft. He found himself unknowingly making circles with his fingers. “Sorry for being depressing. That shift was just rough. Honestly, I didn’t want to come out tonight, but it’s hard to say no to Ino.” Sakura did notice the circles, but it felt nice. 

Kakashi turned his head to face her. They were now only inches from each other. “I don’t mind depressing. Sorry, your shift was so shitty, I probably didn’t help. I guess I’m a bit of a dick on pain killers.” He tilted his head to rest on his shoulder. He hadn’t been this intimate with someone in over a decade. Sure he had sex, and Genma occasionally blackmailed him into going on a date, but sex was purely physical, and he just felt awkward on dates, which in turn annoyed him. But this felt so natural, just being with her, talking to her and touching her. The only thing that annoyed him right now is that he knew he could stay like this forever. 

“Not a dick, just kind of annoying,” she smirked, “But it was nice being called beautiful. I think I forget how nice it is to feel attractive, cutting people open doesn’t make you feel as sexy as you might think,” she joked while nuzzling herself up Kakashi’s arm to get a little closer. 

“You look beautiful tonight,” he went in for a soft kiss on her forehead. “Anytime you need to hear it, just let me know, okay?” He was successfully flirting sober and didn’t even realize. Sakura did, though. 

With her hand furthest away from Kakashi, she touched the spot his lips grazed, just to make sure it was real. “Okay,” she looked into his dark gray eyes, “can I kiss you?” 

He wanted to say yes so badly. But he would also hate himself if she got into any trouble at work and something told him she wasn’t thinking about that right now. Also, she was pretty drunk. “Not tonight, beautiful. When we kiss, you’re going to be sober and happy, also not my doctor, that okay?” 

His answer was a disappointment but understandable; it was sweet of him. Besides, someone had to be an adult and remember she was his doctor. “Tell me how you got that scar over your eye?” She was referring to a faint one in his left eye. She had wanted to ask a long time ago, but she, more than anyone, would know that scars rarely have a happy story. But she needed something to distract herself from the rejection. 

“Ah Sakura-chan,” he mused with a small smile on his face, “I was wondering when you were going to ask about this.” He ran a finger over it before explaining, “I was in a car crash when I was a kid. A piece of glass got me bad.” His two best friends also died, but he figured now wasn’t an appropriate time to bring up car crash deaths. 

“Cars are stupid,” she pouted. 

“Very true,” he agreed with a small smile creeping on his face from the cute expression she had. “Speaking of cars, do you guys want a ride home? Hinata might have to sit on Naruto’s lap, but something tells me she won’t mind.” 

Both of them realized they hadn’t checked on their friends for a while. When they looked over to the dance floor, neither of them was surprised at what they saw. Genma and Ino were now exclusively dancing with each other if you could call dry humping dancing- which Ino and Genma both did. It took a while for Sakura to find Tenten, but they finally found her cuddled up with some girl in one of the oversized ball chairs with her hand up the girl’s dress. Naruto and Hinata were at the bar, Hinata laughing at some joke he made. “Well, I think everyone is happy and appropriately horny.” Sakura chuckled. Just then, she got a text from Ino, ‘Genma and I are going to my place. See ya later! Have fun with your boy.’ Sakura quickly hid her phone, not wanting Kakashi to read the message. He had but ignored it, “So I guess we’ll all fit in your car.”

“Seems so,” Sakura sat up from her very comfortable arm pillow and stretched her arms up, “You getting tired, doc?”

“A little, maybe I’ll even get some sleep tonight.” She stood up, “I’m going to go talk to Tenten and see when she wants to leave. Would you mind asking Naruto and Hinata?” Kakashi nodded and stretched a little himself before remembering how much his stomach hurt. He tried to hide the pain from Sakura, though, not wanting her to worry. 

Naruto had told Kakashi that Hinata lived nearby, so he was just going to walk her home and catch an uber. He found himself wondering if Naruto was going home tonight but shook the thought out of his head when he remembered not to care. But less work for him. Meanwhile, Sakura tried to ask Ten Ten, but the second she came into the two girls' view, Ten Ten told her she’d make her way back home. When the two met back up, they realized that once again, the universe had left them alone together. “Looks like it’s just me you have to take home. Fortunately, I live close by,” she grabbed his arm. “Do you mind if I use you for balance? I’m still a little drunk and regretting wearing heels.”

“As I said,” he glanced down, almost forgetting to admire those legs of hers, “You can grab any part of me you want.” They silently made their way to Kakashi’s car. “Here we are,” he opened the door for her and closed it once she was situated. “Ready to go?” He asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ten Ten is also v bi all I have to say about that. Also I know the whole neurons thing is a real reach but I'm trying to craft some sexual tension so shhhh


	6. Bleeding Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cue Leona Lewis in the background.

Before they left, Sakura held out her hand, “Want me to put my address in your GPS? I might not be a great navigator right now.” It was starting to hit her that it had gotten quite cold. 

“Here,” Kakashi rearranged himself so he could pull the black flannel off he had been wearing all night. He tried not to give away how much it hurt to do so, “And I already have it,” he smirked, “Ino sent it to me from Genma’s phone the second they left us alone. Apparently, she thought it would come in handy.”

Sakura pulled the flannel over her arms; it was surprisingly soft and smelled like him. “Thanks, and sorry about her. For someone who literally wrote the book about the downfalls of monogamy, she desperately wants me to get married so she can be a maid of honor.”

He started driving but still leered in her direction, “Oh yeah? Are you going to marry me, Sakura-chan?”

She rolled her eyes, “Don’t get so cocky. She thinks I’m going to marry everyone; for a while, she tried to convince me Naruto was my unrequited childhood love,” she laughed at the thought.

“If he is, you better act now, Hinata might just make a man out of him tonight,” they both laughed at the prospect than discussed the logistics of their two other friends sleeping together. They realized it was perfect as they were both kind of commitment-phobes. 

“I had fun tonight Kakashi,” she leaned over, “Thanks for sulking in the corner with me. I didn’t have the energy to have fun,” he nodded and agreed that he had a great time too. She was fine to settle into a comfortable silence for a while, but when she looked at him, something caught her eye. She grabbed her phone and turned on the light. “Shit.”

“So, you noticed the blood?” Kakashi winced a little. It had been trickling on his skin since they left the bar. He was hoping he could get home before she noticed. 

His gray shirt had a splotchy red blood stain by the surgery site, “How long have you been bleeding like this? Pullover Kakashi!” She scolded. 

“It started once we left, but don’t worry, I’m fine, I can still drive. Your place isn’t too far away.” He listened silently and patiently to the lecture, pounded into his head by the drunk doctor. Once she stopped to take a breath, Kakashi found a moment to interject on his behalf, “Come on now, you’re in no state to drive, and it’s not a big deal. I might, however, invite myself in if you don’t mind. I assume you have a first aid kit at your place.”

“Of course I do, and I hope you didn’t think I was going to let you go home like that,” The rest of the ride home was another drunken lecture, this time about infections. Typically Kakashi tuned out his doctors, usually letting Genma listen for all the essential bits, but he was soaking up her every word. It had been a long time since anyone had fussed over him like this. Sure Genma would try to, but he knew it was usually a lost cause even to try. They pulled into her complex’s parking lot and headed upstairs. Before they reached the steps, Sakura took off her heels, opting just to be barefoot. Kakashi wanted to offer to carry her up, but he was pretty sure that would pop his stitches completely open, and he wasn’t into the idea of a late-night hospital visit. She opened the door and set her heels down. “Sit.” She ordered. He was too tired to argue, so he found a chair and sat, watching her make her way to the backroom that he assumed was the bedroom. As he sat there, blood dripping onto her floor, he wondered how he got himself in this position. 

Tonight Kakashi was sure that how she looked tonight was the hottest he had ever seen here. Not that he was not attracted to her, but that skirt did things to them, especially with the heels. The only thing that had made him weaker was the literal hole in his stomach that was slowly opening. He could feel some blood run on his skin. “Could you actually lay down on the floor? I think I could get a better angle that way.” He turned his head to face her behind, standing up to move. There she was in a pair of short cotton pajama shorts and an old faded university shirt. Her hair was up in a ponytail; any stray hairs tied down with a red bandana. Despite not being gone long, all the makeup from her face also seemed to be wiped off. He liked her dressed down. It might be hotter. Not that he was dramatic enough to say this injury would kill him, but if he died right now, he would die a happy man. He pulled his shirt off and laid on the floor. He started to feel a little dizzy. 

“Hey, do you have aspirin on something? I have a massive headache, and I don’t want to drive back with it.” He asked between the winces he gave Sakura as she disinfected and rebandaged the wound. 

“Absolutely not. Aspirin is a blood thinner, it’s just going to make you bleed more, and I’m not going to let you bleed all over my sheets.” She cut the last piece of medical tape, finishing her patch job. Not the best she’d ever done but pretty good considering the circumstance.”Also, next time your rebandage yourself, tape the bandage down tighter. The reason you were bleeding so much was there was no pressure to stop it. I told Hanabi- I mean, Dr. Hyuga, to show you how to do it properly, did she?”

“Yeah, she tried, but I didn’t listen,” he groaned. The truth had been that she was talking nonsense the second he took his shirt off. Poor girl probably hadn’t been around a lot of shirtless men in her life. He didn’t want to rat her out though- Sakura seemed like a strict supervisor. “And what do you mean by your sheets?” 

“Well, now, you know. You can always call the hospital if you need help.” She stood up and handed him the flannel he had given her earlier. “There’s no way I’m letting you drive home at this hour in your condition. Trade me shirts. I’ll wash it and let it dry overnight. It might not be all the way dry by the morning, but you can at least salvage the shirt.” 

“Wait, Sakura, relax,” he stood up and grabbed both her arms, “I’m not your patient right now. I can wash my shirt, and I’m not going to steal your bed. If you don’t want me to drive, I’ll take the couch, but you deserve a good night’s sleep.” Honestly, he was a little relieved by invitation, or was it a demand? Either way, he didn’t want to drive. He also felt it was best not to argue after the week she had with the car crash. He took the flannel and threw it on, not bothering with the buttons. The bloodied shirt in his hand, he made his way to the bathroom to soak it. 

Sakura cleaned up the medical supplies and discarded the old bandages and gloves, following Kakashi to the bathroom. “Are you sure I can’t do it for you? Being a surgeon has made me pretty good at getting blood out of clothes.”

“So has being an MMA fighter Sakura-chan,” he hummed.

She hadn’t thought about that, “Fine but does your head still hurt?” He nodded, “Okay, I’ll be right back.” She hurried to the kitchen, grabbed a glass of orange juice and some Oreos, and set it out on her bar, where she ate most of her meals. When she came back, she saw the shirt hanging on the towel rod, Kakashi still hadn’t buttoned up the flannel. “Kakashi, I’m sorry, but this isn’t up for debate, you take the bed, I’ll take the couch. It’s more important that you’re comfortable.” Sakura insisted, “Also, you should eat the cookies and juice I put out in the kitchen. You just had some blood loss; eating some sugar will help.”

He smiled and patted her head, “Thank you,” he kissed her forehead then headed to the kitchen, settling in on a stool. Sakura took the chair next to him, “I’m still not making your bed.” He added between bites, “Seriously, I’ve slept in worse places than a leather couch.”

She looked over at the couch. It was tiny, probably barely able to fit her. There’s no way Kakashi would fit comfortably. “Well,” she looked down at her feet. “We could always share the bed if you’re okay with that.”

He looked down at her, trying not to laugh at the deliberate lack of eye contact, “Are you comfortable with it, Sakura?” She nodded. “Then I am too. I’ll behave, I’ve lost too much blood not to.”

Maybe she would finally get some sleep having someone in the bed with her. That was the only thing she ever missed about her relationship with Sasuke. “I think I’ve officially sobered up,” she took her bandana off and let her hair out of the ponytail, shaking it out in the process. “Hey, want to see something?” Sakura asked as Kakashi finished his snack. He said sure, very intrigued. In a bookshelf in the living room, she pulled out a brown binder. The book made a thud against the bar; she got back on the stool and flipped through the first few pages. Kakashi caught glimpses of a small baby and toddler with pink hair that he would have to go back to later. “Here we go,” she settled on a page. 

“Is that Naruto?” He looked at the picture closer. It was Naruto for sure, that smile was the same; he was just a lot younger. On his back, he was carrying a small pink-haired girl. “And is that you?” 

“Yup! We were about seven in this picture. We were playing recuse the princess, and Naruto loved playing the knight.”

If anything could melt Kakashi’s heart, it was this picture, “What was he rescuing you from?” 

She wasn’t sure how to answer that at. First, Sasuke was the last person she wanted to bring up in front of Kakashi, “A dragon,” It was true, he had always requested to be the one who captured the princess during their game, in retrospect, that should have told her something. 

He noticed her excited tone start to disappear at his question. It struck him as odd initially, but then he remembered Naruto told him Sasuke was a childhood friend. Had she started thinking of him? Distracted by Sakura’s change in demeanor, he absent-mindedly flipped through the pages. One picture stopped him, though. It looked like a prom picture. He was certain Sakura hadn’t aged since then. The dress was red- of course, it was, she knew what color looked good on her. The sleeves hung off her shoulders, and her hair, which was much longer, cascaded down her back and shoulders. Even then, she wasn’t a big make-up wearer. If he had known Sakura is high school, he was sure he’d be maybe even more smitten than he was with her now. He was quite passionate in his teens. Luckily age calmed him down considerably. This picture was just of her, but next to it was another picture of her and her date. A boy with raven black hair wearing a nice suit and matching red tie, “Sasuke,” he hadn’t meant to say his name out loud. 

“You know Sasuke?” the sheer panic on her face would have been cute if her ex-fiance didn’t cause it. 

Kakashi felt like a fucking idiot. Blood loss was no joke, “Yeah, Naruto brought him to the gym a couple of times, but I don’t think fighting was his thing. I haven’t seen him in a couple of years. Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought him up.”

Again Kakashi was beating himself up. Sakura hadn’t told him that they used to be engaged, Naruto did. She let out a nervous laugh. She knew what happened, “Naruto has such a big mouth,” she flipped the page to a picture of the three of them all in their high school graduation robes. “It’s okay, somewhere down deep there are some happy memories in there.”

“So there are,” The three did look happy. It was sad to think that just a decade later, it seemed like they barely interacted anymore. Naruto had complained that Sasuke was always out and about traveling for work. “Did you always want to be a surgeon?”

“Well, I always wanted to be a doctor but,” her gaze fixed on Sasuke’s picture for a moment, “The surgeon thing only came after I broke things off with Sasuke and met Dr. Senju.” Here the pair were, it was now almost one in the morning, he had bled on her floor not even an hour ago, and now she’s talking about her breakup. The only other people who knew what truly happened were Naruto and Ino. But Sakura had a feeling that was about to change. 

“Ah,” Kakashi wasn’t one for being interested in other’s personal lives. Still, the strange thing about Sakura was she was the first person he’d ever met who he needed to know absolutely everything about. “Makes sense, I’m sure surgery is an intense program, probably hard to maintain a relationship.” He sipped the last of his juice. 

“You’re not wrong, but he pressured me into doing family medicine, and I’m ashamed to say I let him. He had a whole plan for us to get married and have a kid. Family practice had normal hours and good maternity leave, so he thought it would be better.” It was scary to think she might be pregnant or already have a kid at this point if she had stayed with him, “But I met Tsunade when I was interning, and she encouraged me to join the surgical program, and I’m glad she did.”

“I’m glad she did too,” he smiled at her. 

“But you know what’s funny- despite her encouragement, I wasn’t completely convinced it was a good idea. It’s wasn’t until a week later when I found Sasuke in bed with his secretary. I realized it was time for a change.” That memory used to make her cry, but if it hadn’t happened, she might not be here now with this man, for that she was thankful. 

“Shit seriously?” What was with all these guys not realizing what an amazing woman they had in front of them. “Fucking shit bag,” he sneered. 

“I agree,” she gave a sly smile. “Wanna know the craziest part?” Before he could answer, she went back to the bookshelf and pulled down another book. She sat back next to him and opened the binder to a particular page before setting the book in front of him. “This was my matchday when medical students who graduated find out where they’ll be working.” The picture was Sakura holding an envelope dressed as little red riding hood, what looked like her parents, Ino, dressed as Cinderella, Naruto, and Sasuke. That’s who he could recognize anyways. But at the very end was a girl with bright red hair and glass. Sakura pointed at her, “That’s her. Six months before I caught them, she had been weaseling her way into our lives, trying to be my friend. Weird in retrospect.”

How the fuck Sasuke could cheat on Sakura was this girl was beyond him, “More like creepy.” She looked so cute in the costume, but he was lost why girls looked like that, “Want to explain the outfits?”

“Oh yeah,” she chuckled. “So before matching day, medical students make a list of where they want to work. Then the hospitals make a list of who they want to come work for them. Everything goes into a computer, then everyone goes into a room and gets handed an envelope with their future in it. It’s stressful, so medical schools usually attach a gimmick to it to lighten the mood. Ino and I’s school did everyone dresses up, and the theme was fairytales.” 

“Doctors are a weird breed,” he shook his head. “If you don’t mind me asking, though, why keep a picture that has the girl who ruined your relationship in it?”

“You know,” she lowered her chin into her palm, “I used to tell people the happiest day of my life was the day Sasuke proposed to me. But even when we were together, I knew it wasn’t true. I only put one hospital on my match list, Konoha General, because Sasuke couldn’t move with his job. Konoha General is a nationally ranked hospital. They notoriously submit the shortest list of physicians because everyone on the list almost always accepts. My advisor thought I was crazy for making it the only hospital on my list, and you know what? I agreed.” She laughed, replaying that meeting in her head. Her advisor almost burst a blood vessel. “I honestly showed up fully expecting just to be there to congratulate my friends. I almost told my parents not to come. But I got in, Ino had to redo my make-up before the picture I was crying so much.”

“Very impressive,” He would have to ask later if she still had that costume. “So, I’m guessing this was the happiest day of your life?”

“Yeah. And I’m not going to let Sasuke or Karin take that away from me. Besides,” for the first time in their flirty banter, Sakura went on the offensive, flashing him noticeable bedroom eyes, “We both know no one’s looking at either of them in this picture. Not when I look this hot,” Kakashi just snickered. He liked it when she got a little mean, except when it was towards Hanabi. He just felt bad then. “But I think I have a new favorite day,” her confidence dwindled as she continued. “Wednesday, I performed my first successful solo surgery,” she looked up at him. Hoping he wasn’t too mad that he was her first, surgery that is. 

Kakashi’s eyes widen at the confession, “don’t get mad at her, but Hanabi let it slip that it was your first. And let me say I’m honored to pop your cherry,” he playfully put his hand over his heart. 

Sakura rolled her eyes. She’d let the Hanabi thing slip for now, as well as the virginity joke. She liked seeing him a bit more playful, especially when drugs weren’t involved. He seemed so serious at the bar. She figured that was what he was like most of the time, “While I’m proud of myself for that,” her voiced trailed off, but that just made Kakashi listen more intently, “I think I also met someone who I like to be around and I think he likes being around me too.”

This girl was going to fucking ruin him, “Yeah,” he gently pulled her head closer to his, placing the last soft forehead kiss of the night on her, “he does.”

The two fell asleep almost immediately after their talk. Both of them too tired to even think of making their time in the bed even a little sexy. Neither of them even had the chance to say good night before crashing. Sakura had learned to become a heavy sleeper. It was the only way she could get a nap in at work. The movement of Kakashi slipping out of bed and scribbling down a note before he left didn’t wake her, nor did the light from the sun as to went through the window, unblocked by curtains she had neglected to draw the night before. She did have one weakness, though. Beep Beep Beep Beep her fucking pager. Remembering that the night before Kakashi had slept only inches from her, she shot up and looked over, hoping to see him. Unfortunately, the spot beside her was empty, but on the bedside table was a note folded in half with her name on the front. 

I feel like an asshole leaving before you woke up, but I had a realization this morning. If Genma went to Ino’s house and I stayed here, no one would be home this morning to feed and walk the dog, which would both be very unfair to him and a pain to clean up. I thought about waking you, but you seemed so peaceful, and I’d feel better about you cutting people open if you get your eight hours. 

Anyways, I wanted to make you breakfast or something- since you seem like the type to skip it, but I wasn’t sure when you’d wake up, and I didn’t want it to get cold. Maybe I could buy you breakfast later? To thank you for letting me crash here. I’ll see you Wednesday for our appointment. 

K   
P.S. I don’t know if you knew I had a dog, but his name is Pakkun, and if you want a picture of him, text me XXX-XXX-XXXX 

She had heard many lame gimmicks to get her number before. But this one was pretty smooth; she had to admit. Also, she did want to see what kind of dog Kakashi had. She quickly texted the number 

Let me see Pakkun

She got dressed quickly and glanced at her phone’s clock, at 10 am. Not quite eight hours, but it would do. She moved to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth, realizing Kakashi’s shirt was on the towel rack, the same place he put it. There was still a faint bloodstain, so she threw some stain remover on it and started a load before she left. She walked down her apartment steps contemplating if what happened last night could be considered unethical behavior. Nothing happened except that he kissed her forehead a couple of times. She thought she would faint for just a second after each one, but in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t so bad. She had once had a French exchange student as a patient, and he kissed both of her cheeks when they met. It took her off guard, but it wasn’t inappropriate. Everything that happened after hours, including them sharing a bed. Which, while nice, was somehow even less sexual than when Ino crashed next to her. Ino was a real cuddler, and she usually woke up with a hand on her breast. 

Before she got in her car, she heard her phone buzz again. It was Kakashi, and attached was a picture of a small pug with a blue bandana around his neck. Something about Kakashi having a pug seemed perfect. She slipped in the car and started driving, “Call Kakashi,” she instructed the console in her car. 

The ring blasted through the speakers. She could feel butterflies as she waited for him to pick up, “Mornin’ Sakura-chan, what’s up?” He finally picked up. 

“You left your shirt in my bathroom, also cute dog,” she turned the corner, “Sorry for calling. I’m driving to work, but I wanted to tell you that you left your shirt at my place before I forgot. Are you okay with me just bringing it to our appointment on Wednesday?” Before Kakashi could respond, a car changed lanes, barely missing her. She slammed her hand on the horn, “Fucking asshole!” She yelled, knowing that the other driver couldn’t hear her. However, she just remembered that Kakashi could, “Sorry about that, I swear some people don’t know how to drive.”

“Is that road rage I detect in the good doctor? Never would have pegged you for the type,” She could hear a light chuckle, “You’ve got a little mean streak in you, you might make a good fighter.”

“I am not mean,” she protested, “Also, I’d be a terrible fighter. My dexterity is better than the average person’s, obviously, but I’m extremely clumsy otherwise. I did ballet as a kid and broke two bones from it.”

“That’s pretty bad, but I could teach you. Can I give you a lesson some time?” He offered, daydreaming about how good she’d look in just spandex shorts and a sports bra.

“Maybe, but is it okay to bring the shirt on Wednesday?”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” he contemplated telling her just to keep it, but that was maybe a little too far, considering she was still his doctor. 

“Alright,” she pulled into her parking stop, “I’m at work. I’ll see you Wednesday.” They said their goodbyes, and Sakura walked in. She realized she liked starting her day talking to Kakashi. 

Once she hung up, Kakashi threw his phone to the side and continued to pet Pakkun behind his ear. He had two girlfriends in his life, and they were both disasters. However, as much as he did care for each one, he still did. None of them had made him feel this giddy. He imagined it was the same feeling Obito had explained to him about Rin. “I’m home,” Genma sang while walking home. Kakashi sighed at this. He always walked around singing after he got laid. It was probably his most obnoxious feature. “What’s up, Kakashi?” He sat down in the chair beside the couch, “was Pakkun a go boy last night?” he patted the dog's head. 

“Wouldn’t know,” he picked up his favorite book, about to read his way through a conversation he didn’t want to have but knew Genma would make him. “I only got home a couple of hours ago.” He raised his book higher, trying to disassociate from the conversation. However, something struck him as odd. He could have just lied to Genma if he wanted to. He had before when he didn’t want to explain himself, but part of him wanted to share his excitement with his friend. Weird. 

“No shit,” Genma punched his arm, “You dirty dog.”

“Wasn’t like that,” He shook his head, “I opened up my sutures and started bleeding while I was taking her home. She patched me up at her place, but I had lost some blood and felt sick, so she didn’t want me to drive. I just crashed there.” He explained, not looking up from his book. Again he acknowledged that while part of him dreaded divulging into his personal life, he could just as quickly shut the whole conversation down. 

“I mean crashing on a girl’s sofa isn’t ideal, but-” 

Kakashi interrupted, “No, we shared a bed.”

“What?” a huge grin started to form on Genma’s face, “No fucking way. How did it not lead to anything?”

“Well,” his voice softened, and he lowered his book just a little, “again, only a couple hours before we went to bed, I was bleeding on her dining room floor, and I’m quite certain if we had had sex, it would open again and I’m not trying to end my night back at the hospital.”

“Fair enough,” he had almost forgotten his friend had surgery only a few days ago. “Her friend Ino was a freak though,” he grinned again, “I think it was the most mind-blowing sex I had ever had.”

Kakashi went back to reading his book, “Sakura told me she was a sex and relationship therapist and psychiatrist. Makes sense.”

“She is?” Genma scoffed, “That explains all the toys she had.”

“You didn’t ask her what she did?” Kakashi raised an eyebrow. 

He shrugged, “She told me she was a therapist, but we were mostly talking about all the things we were about to do with each other. She did tell me that she helped pay for medical school by being a dominatrix.” He trailed off, hoping his silence would be enough for Kakashi to put down the book a little. He was right, “Apparently, she tried to get Sakura to do it with her a few times when clients wanted her to bring a friend.” The book was now in his lap, “But she said no.”

Part of him was glad she declined, but at an almost equal amount, he had hoped she accepted. Fuck. Now Genma had him thinking about Sakura in an all-black leather catsuit with a whip in her hand. He would let her whip him, probably. “So,” he elected not to comment too much about the dominatrix thing, “You going to see her again?” 

“Nah,” he nodded, “She told me she was leaving in a couple of days for a lecture tour, said she’d be out of town until at least the end of August.” It was currently the middle of July, so that would be awhile. “Maybe I’ll hit her up when she gets back, but we’ll see. Did you hear from Naruto? Do we know what happened to him?” Kakashi shook his head, “Hope the kids okay.”

“He went to possibly the nicest girl in the world’s house last night who also happens to be a nurse. I can’t imagine he’s anything but fine.” He picked his book back up and continued reading. Genma agreed and stood up, making his way to the shower. Usually, talking to Genma about his endeavors the morning after was something Kakashi actively avoided. He didn’t particularly care about how big the girl’s chest was, or if they let Genma do anal or not but waking up next to Sakura and talking to her this morning, it put him in a better mood. While he still didn’t care, he could at least be happy, his friend had a good time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A sakura centric chapter :) time for her heart to open up again :') She's also slowly turning Kakashi into the caring sensei we all know and love. So it's pouring where I am today which ruined everything I was going to do today so maybe one more chapter will be posted later tonight. I'm writing off a 30,000 word rough draft so it's been pretty easy to crank the chapters out!


	7. Healing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys this is the turning point. I've enjoyed writing this story but in my opinion, this is where things start to get good and by good, I mean angsty and smutty lol. Anyways I a little smut warning ;)

As he promised, Kakashi stopped by the coffee shop by his house, an iced coffee with cream and sugar. He had never looked forward to going to the doctors as much as he did then. He walked into the hospital and was greeted by Hinata, “Good afternoon Mr. Hatake,” she looked at the drink carrier in his hand, “is that for Dr. Haruno?” He nodded. “I’m sure she’ll appreciate it, the coffee here isn’t very good.” 

He noted that he should ask if next time Hinata would like something too. “How is Naruto, Ms. Hyuga?” Kakashi poked. He wasn’t sure what was happening to him. He barely cared about his close friend’s relationships, let alone his nurse’s. Maybe he was getting soft. 

“Oh,” her face got red as she averted her eyes to the ground, “He’s good. I’m meeting him for dinner tonight.”

It made Kakashi happy to hear that. Naruto was a good guy, even if he was friends with Sasuke, and he had liked Hinata from day one. Not like he liked Sakura, but she was always kind and quiet, he appreciated it. “Are you going to be here next Wednesday?” He asked. 

“Yeah, I’m usually here all day on Wednesday. Why do you ask?” 

“How do you want your coffee? My treat.” Hinata tried to insist that wasn’t necessary, but Kakashi would hear none of it. Finally, she gave in and requested a vanilla latte. They stopped at one of the check-up rooms where Hinata proceeded to take his temperature, blood pressure and generally poked and prodded at him. She thanked him in advance for bringing her coffee next week and left, telling him Sakura would be in shortly. 

He waited, sipping his coffee until the door opened, “Hello Kakashi, how are you feeling?” In her hands, she had the shirt he had left only a few days ago.

“Better now,” he grabbed her coffee, “I’ll trade you.” 

The two exchanged the coffee and shirt. It was overdramatic, but the coffee was honestly a godsend to Sakura. She had just dealt with a shitty patient and desperately needed a pick me up. “I’m glad you weren’t kidding about bringing me coffee. Does that mean your Naka proposal is still good?” She laughed before she checked his chart. 

“It is,” his tone shifted, much more seriously than before, “Genma thinks it will be the biggest fight of my career so far. If I win, I might even get a video game deal. I’d like my good luck charm there with me.”

Everything in his statement took Sakura a moment to process, “One thing at a time, video game?” Kakashi explained that if fighters gained enough traction in the league, they were given a video game deal to be in the official video game. It paid super well. “Also good luck charm? I don’t know if I’d say I’m particularly lucky.”

“Well,” Kakashi reached out to touch her hand, “I feel pretty lucky when I’m around you. Does that count?” 

How was he so fucking smooth. Sakura had no way to respond other than a quiet yes. Kakashi told her that she didn’t have to decide for a while if she wanted to go to Naka with him and there was no pressure. He just thought it would be fun. She said she would think about it before starting the actual check-up. The next half hour wasn’t very flirty as Kakashi winced during Sakura’s inspection. 

“Well, it looks like it’s healing up nice. You’re taking good care of it.” He should have taken some offense to that, but she was right to be skeptical. But he had ulterior motives for taking care of himself. He figured the faster he healed, the sooner Sakura would no longer be his doctor, and he could finally kiss her without feeling incredibly guilty about possibly getting her fired. “Hey, would you mind if Dr. Hyuga conducted your check-up next week? Under my supervision, of course. I want her to work on actually talking to patients, and I have a feeling you won’t sue the hospital if she messes up.” She gave him a smirk. 

“Yeah, of course, as long as you’re here. For medical reasons, of course,” he felt himself cringe at the bad joke. 

“Of course,” she agreed, trying not to laugh. 

“I told Hinata I’d bring her a coffee next week, ask Dr. Hyuga what she wants too and text me, okay?” With their forty minutes wrapping up, he stood up and put his jacket back on. “I’ll see you next week, doc?” 

“Yeah, I look forward to it,” Sakura added, setting her cup down, “Take care of yourself this week, okay?” 

His body moved before he could think. One arm reached around her shoulders, and he pulled her in close, “You too, Sakura,” he whispered in her ear. He let her go and saw the look of shock on her face. “Sorry about that. I’ll see you later.” There was a psychical attraction, he wouldn’t deny that, but it was becoming something more, he just didn’t know what. But after that hug, he knew he had to get out of that room as quickly as possible. 

The next few weeks were relatively dull and routine. Every time Kakashi brought four coffees, one for him, Hinata, Hanabi, and Sakura. Hanabi awkwardly and with very little tact, observed how his surgery was healing. He would give her this, though. By the fourth week, she was improving. The had texted each other a few times too. There was an occasional phone call when one of them was particularly lonely—although their conversation was relatively superficial, especially compared to the night at Sakura’s place.

Don’t bring coffee for Hanabi. She isn’t here right now

Kakashi got the text right before he got to the drive-through window. Part of him would miss Hanabi, pointing out all the possible ways he could die from an infection. It gave him a real sense of mortality that was probably healthy for an MMA fight to have. He ordered the three coffees and headed to the hospital. Hinata, like clockwork, greeted him, and he pulled out her drink. 

“Thank you, Kakashi, it’s been a hectic morning,” she took a sip. “I’m going to miss your weekly coffee deliveries once you’re out of here.”

“Well, I still have one more week,” he had been able to start working out a little last week, which was a godsend. He was about to die of boredom. This week was the best he had felt since he dropped to the ground before Genma got him to the hospital. Hopefully, he would be all cleared next week. “But,” he decided to be a little bold, “If I play my cards right with Dr. Haruno, I’m sure I’ll be dropping off coffee even once I’m cleared.” Hinata laughed at his comment. She hoped so too, for both her and Sakura’s sake, her smile was a lot brighter lately. Plus, she appreciated the coffee. They chatted about her crazy morning and the date Naruto had taken her on during the weekend. Kakashi couldn’t remember the last time he had such a casual conversation with a girl he wasn’t trying to sleep with. In retrospect, he was an asshole before. He thought Genma was just poking at him when he would call him one. Was it the surgery that changed him, though? Or was it her. He was still figuring that out. 

He knew the drill at this point—all the things Hinata had to do before he got to see her. Finally, Sakura walked in. “Where’s Hyuga? She sick?” he asked, handing her his coffee. 

“No, she requested the afternoon and evening off. Off the record, a boy invited her to a concert tonight,” she took the coffee from his and sipped. “Honestly, I’m glad. That girl is wound too tight; she needs to get out.”

“Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black, Sakura-chan?” He teased. 

Sakura didn’t have a chance to respond; however, before the door swung open, “Dr. Haruno, I’ve decided to take over your patient,” Tsunade walked in not missing a beat, “Take off your shirt Mr. Hatake, let’s take a look at you.”

“Dr. Senju? This is my patient,” Kakashi wasn’t sure what was happening, but he did as he was told, unsure which woman in the room was scarier. 

“Not anymore,” she started to inspect Kakashi’s healing scar, “looks good to me.”

“Can you explain to me what’s going on?” Sakura pleaded. “Did I do something?” A pang of anxiety hit both of them. They hadn’t done anything sexual but was there still some sort of ethical violation they hadn’t realized. 

“You made me lose my bet with Shizune. I thought you guys would have gotten together last week. She thought this week. I’m just taking over now because this whole hospital is sick of watching you two pine after each other,” Tsunade scoffed, “some of us are trying to be bitter singles.” 

Kakashi and Sakura looked at each other, unsure of what to say to this information. “Sorry?” Sakura wasn’t sure why she was apologizing. 

“You should be. I’ve had my schedule clear for weeks to take on Hatake. I like my coffee black with one sugar.” She glanced over to Kakashi. 

Right,” Kakashi agreed, still trying to figure out what had just happened while also throwing his shirt back on. 

“I still need some explanation. How did you?” Sakura narrowed her eyes, “Why do you think something is going on?”

“Where to start,” Tsunade put her pointer finger to her chin, “Every time I’ve seen Hatake, his eyes have been glued to you. Before he left after his surgery, there was a definite air of sexual tension in the room, and I emailed Dr. Yamanaka Sunday afternoon to congratulate her on being published. She told me about how you, too, spent the entire night in each other arms. Then there’s the coffee thing-”

“Alright!” Sakura begged her to stop, “I get it.”

“So, Sakura, isn’t my doctor?” Kakashi cut in. 

“No,” she smiled. “And her shift ends at eight tonight. I have some meetings to go to but have fun, you two crazy kids,” she lifted her hands in the air on her way out of the door. 

“So,” Kakashi grabbed her hand, “Can I pick you up at nine tonight? Treat you to some dinner?” 

“Yeah, I’d like that.” He stood up, not letting go of her hand and pulled her close, “I really would prefer our first real kiss not be in the hospital. It’s a superstition thing.”

“Huh,” he widened his eyes for a second, “Fair enough, us fighters have our traditions too.” With that, he gave her one of his now-infamous forehead kisses. “See you tonight, Sakura.” He grabbed his coat and headed to his car. 

**

“Shizune, can I assist on your coronary bypass today? I want to get more cardiovascular experience.” Kakashi had left a couple of hours ago. She had wandered around the hospital looking for something to do to stop her from overthinking about how the date should go. 

“Sure, but I heard you’re trying to get out of here by eight tonight,” she sang, both happy for Sakura but also happy she had won her bet with Tsunade. 

“I am but,” she looked at the clipboard with the information on it, “The surgery is scheduled for 3:00, a bypass like this only takes like four hours. I can fit it in with time to spare.”

“In my experience, surgeries always go longer when you’re trying to finish by a certain time. You can assist, but only if you’re sure.” She warned the young doctor. 

“Yes! Thanks, Shizune, I’ll meet you in the OR soon,” She left Shizune, who just laughed at her over-enthusiasm. She thought to herself that there was no way they would get out of this surgery at a decent time now. Sakura had jinxed it. 

**

Fuck, Sakura thought to herself. Here she was at 8:30, covered in blood, and at least another hour to go before they could close the guy up. It was indeed times like this that humbled her, times where despite all the research and observation, reminded her how unexpected medicine could be. 

It was 9:00 when the phone rang at the nurse’s station, “Konoha General, this is nurse Hyuga speaking, can I help you?” All patients who had to take care of wounds after they left had the number straight to the nurse’s station if they had questions. Kakashi had never used it before because if he was concerned about something, he just blew up Sakura’s personal number. But he was glad that he kept the number saved in his phone, although this wasn’t the emergency he was expecting. 

“Hey, Hinata, it’s me, Kakashi. Is Sakura alright? I was supposed to meet her tonight, but she’s not home and isn’t answering her phone.” He figured she was in surgery, but still, he would feel better knowing for sure that she didn’t crash her car somewhere or get kidnapped in the parking lot. 

“Hello Kakashi,” the hospital knew by now that Sakura had a date with him tonight. Additionally, Tsunade and Shizune weren’t the only ones with bets going. The nurses had a pretty impressive pool. One that Hinata had won. “I do believe she’s here, but would you mind holding? I’m going to figure out exactly where and when she’ll be available. 

“Sure. Thanks,” the phone went to some elevator music. It gave him some time to think. It turns out he could have been late. Genma had learned never to give him the right time to anything is he expected Kakashi to show up at a responsible time. But then it hit him. He had also never been late to a check-up with Sakura- weird. 

He would have to analyze over that later, however, because Hinata was back on the line, “Hi Kakashi. Sakura was closing up when I made it to the OR. She’ll have to sign some forms, but she should be out of here in 20 to 30 minutes.”

“Okay, good.” He wasn’t a doctor by any means, but he was hopeful that if she closed up the patient, that meant they survived. He wasn’t sure if he’d be very good at comforting her if the patient hadn’t. Although he wanted to keep seeing her, and he did, it might be something to prepare for eventually. “Thanks, Hinata, have a nice night.” She returned the sentiment and hung up. Leaving Kakashi alone in his car to wait. Doing the math in his head, he realized she wouldn't get here until closer to 10. Now he knew how Genma felt. Not that he was going to start being on time. He opened his phone and ordered some Chinese for delivery. If there was anything he had learned in his almost thirty years of life, it was when to forget all your plans and just order takeout. 

“Fuck fuck fuck,” Sakura cursed under her breath. Hinata had found her as she was walking out of her surgery to tell her Kakashi called wondering where she was. Once she got back to her phone, she tried to call him, but the second she opened her phone, it died. What was it about her first dates where everything just had to go wrong. She got into her car to drive home. It was 9:35, Tsunade knew she was already late to meet Kakashi, so of course, she had to stop her and lecture her about it. On the drive, she wondered if he had stayed at her place to wait. Probably not. It’s not like he had a key, so he’d have to remain in the parking lot. By the time she got there, she would have been almost an hour late. She should have listened to Shizune. She got home and made her way to the staircase. 

“Yo,” She saw Kakashi sitting at the bottom of her steps with what looked like a bag of take out, “I figured you might not want to wait to go out to grab a bite, so I thought I’d bring it to you,” he stood up, leaving the food on the ground. “I think you’re the only girl in the world who could have someone else's blood on their collar bone and still be so beautiful. What’s your secret?” He lowered his head. 

Sakura looked down to her neck, “Shit, I thought I got it all off,” she groaned. “But thanks for waiting and for the food. I just want to take a shower and eat.” she moved a little closer to his face, “I’m sorry for being late, but if it’s any consolation, I successfully put my first graft in someone's heart and saved them from bleeding out.”

“You must be pretty happy then,” he inched closer. He hadn’t imagined she would have blood on her the first time they kissed, but it’s not like he was ever one to stick to the standard conventions of romance. 

“So happy,” and with that, she pressed her lips against his. Something they had both wanted for weeks now was soft at first, both of them taking in the feeling of one another. But with no surprise, Kakashi was the first to initiate the kiss, becoming more aggressive. He grabbed her waist with both hands and held on like he would die if he let go. Sakura felt a small nip on her lips and immediately obeyed the silent request opening her mouth just wide enough for his tongue to make his way in. The speed of the kiss slowly picked up, and Sakura became braver, grabbing the back of Kakashi’s head, her fingers woven in his silver locks. 

But abruptly, the kiss came to an end when the two heard a cough, “Excuse me.” They looked over to a red-headed boy, who even Kakashi thought was quite beautiful, “Can I get through?” 

“I’m so sorry, Sasori,” Sakura quickly grabbed the food on the steps and moved aside, “have a good night.” 

Sasori gave a small understanding smile before proceeding up the steps. “We should probably head inside,” Kakashi took the bag of food from Sakura, also insisting he take the bag she had from work. “I don’t want to be interrupted again,” he kissed her forehead before leading the way up. 

Her and Sasori had started out hating each other, mostly because of his friend, but possibly boyfriend Deidara was exceptionally loud, and it would keep Sakura up. But the two had slowly come to an understanding after she comforted him at the hospital over his grandmother’s death. She hoped that she hadn’t ruined their relationship again. She followed Kakashi up the stairs, fumbling her keys out of her pockets and unlocking the door. “I don’t mean to be rude, but would you mind if I took a quick shower. I’m disgusting right now,” she walked in, stripping her jacket, leaving her in black scrub bottoms and an oversized blue scrub top. 

Kakashi set the bags down on her kitchen table, “I wouldn’t say disgusting, but you probably should get the blood off you. Did your other shirt get blood all over it?” He noticed the odd mismatch. He also realized she must have rushed out of the hospital to leave still wearing scrubs. He remembered her saying something about hating leaving the hospital with them on. 

“Yeah, this was all I could find, better than walking around in just my bra.” She knew the comment she was inviting from him but was too tired to care. 

“Agree to disagree, Sakura-chan,” he smiled, getting plates down. “But go shower, I’ll get dinner out of the bag.”

“Thanks,” Sakura went into the bathroom, washing her body and hair. She found herself speeding through the shower, which was odd because she usually savored a hot shower after surgery. She got out, throwing one towel over her hair and rubbing it to get the access water out, then wrapped another towel around her breasts. She looked around the bathroom and realized she had forgotten to bring a change of clothes in, and she wasn’t about to put her dirty and sweaty scrubs back on. She groaned before realizing she would have to walk out with just a towel. There was no way Kakashi wouldn’t notice her either. 

Determined, she opened the door to head to her room; maybe if she didn’t make a big deal about it, he wouldn’t either. “Ah Sakura-chan, you can’t walk around just in a towel in front of me and not expect me to say anything.” He had caught her trying to avoid eye contact. 

“I forgot to bring in clothes with me,” she tried to protest. But he was already getting up and heading toward her. It was times like this she cursed having a small apartment. “What are you doing?”

Kakashi put his hand on the wall next to her, almost trapping her between him and her room. “I was going to ask if you needed help getting dressed,” the corner of his mouth twitched up, “I must say I’m better at taking clothes off, but since it’s our first date, I’ll be a gentleman.” He liked teasing her, and he was fully expecting Sakura to banish him back to the dining table, 

Here she found herself naked, with only a towel to cover her modesty and in front of her was a man who had invaded her fantasies multiple times the past two months. Whose perfectly sculpted body she had touched many times but never in the way she wanted to, whatever was under his pants a mystery she was dying to solve. “Don’t be.” She whispered. 

“What was that Sakura-chan?” he played with his word as his fingers grazed the bottom of her chin, “Are you asking me not to be a gentleman?” 

“Just fuck me,” such crude words had never left her mouth before. She had always been a good girl who usually demanded a little bit of romance before she felt someone had earned having sex with her. The crazy part was that Kakashi probably would have. She had a feeling he was ready to work to meet any expectations she had. But right now, whether it was the months of build-up that lead to this, the high from a successful surgery or the almost a whole year since getting laid, she had to have him, it couldn’t wait anymore. 

Like music to his ears, he figured sex was off the table for the night since she was probably tired. He was happy just to eat some Chinese food and see her off to bed. What the hell had he done in his life to deserve this? He grabbed her towel, letting it drop to the floor, “Fuck Sakura,” He grabbed her face, picking up from where he left off when they were on the stairs. He stopped only for a moment to pick her up, “your body is fucking amazing,” he took the chance to whisper before carrying her towards the bed. 

Even when she was with Sasuke, she had never let a guy see her naked with the lights on. The thought had occurred to her earlier in the day that Kakashi might see her naked at some point, which she had to admit made her nervous. Kakashi was a professional athlete, and he looked like one, the thought honestly was almost enough to resolve her never to sleep with him. Almost. But the gruffness in his voice was more than enough to tune those insecurities out, at least for the night. He dropped, back first onto her bed and stood above her, licking his lips before taking his shirt off and joining her. A hand on either side of her head, his lips now targeting her neck. 

She shot her hands down to his waist to unbutton his jeans, “Kakashi,” she moaned as his mouth lowered to her breast, “take off your pants.”  
Kakashi pulled his pants and boxers down to the ground. He’d been hard since Sakura walked out in just a towel but being on her, naked- he’d never been so turned on in his life. “Do you have a condom?” He asked, kissing her stomach. 

Sakura only caught a glimpse of his cock, but it was enough to give her a head rush, imaging how good it would feel inside of her. “No, but-” she became speechless as his kisses moved down to her clit, his tongue making the smallest circles on it. 

“But?” he moved his head up. It wasn’t really what he wanted to talk about right now, but that last thing either of them needed at this time in their life was a fucking kid. But still, he didn’t want to risk losing how wet her pussy was. Slowly he slipped two fingers inside and waited for her to respond while thrusting them in and out. 

Sakura knew they would be okay. She wanted just to tell him it didn’t matter and to fuck her. But he deserved some peace of mind, “I’m clean and on the pill. You’re clean too, please put it in me,” desperately she looked up to the man who was still pleasuring her with nothing more than his fingers. 

“I like it when you beg Sakura-chan, but how do you know I’m clean?” he was, or at least he was pretty sure he was, but he was genuinely curious how she did. 

“Your blood work,” she gasped as the broad side of one of his fingers hit the right spot, “I read it before your surgery and unless you’ve-” 

Kakashi moved up, his fingers leaving her now grazing her clit, and pressed his lips against hers, lightly this time. He had forgotten she was his surgeon not too long ago. He also knew what she was going to ask, “No,” he lifted his face, “ever since I met you, I couldn’t imagine looking at anyone else.” He could feel his younger self kick at him for saying something so cheesy to a girl he was about to sleep with, but it was true. “Besides, how rough I get, I would have busted my stitches,” he whispered.

“I’ll take care of you,” she said quietly and sat upon the bed, moving to the floor, forcing Kakashi to step back to give her room. Now on her knees, she was able to appreciate how big he was, she wasn’t too surprised, she had been expecting him to be packing, but this was something else, part of her worried about being able to fit him. She ducked below him and placed her tongue on the bottom of his shaft, slowly she made her way up to the tip before putting her whole mouth around it. It wasn’t as easy as it had been on other partners. She found herself gagging a little when she tried to fit more of him.

Kakashi felt his soul leave him body the second she was on her knees. The pose alone was an image he was sure he would never forget about. And while the feeling of her tongue on him and mouth around his cock felt great, it was the little gag he heard when he became too much for him that set him off, “Sakura, I have to fuck you right now,” he stepped up and grabbed her arm, pulling her up. 

But something strange happened. When he pulled her up, she felt the blood rush to her head. Sakura’s eyes glazed over for a moment; if he hadn’t already been holding on to her, she probably would have fallen. She was limp for a moment but seemed to come back to reality as she struggled to find her footing. Kakashi sat on her on the bed, “I’m sorry,” she looked up to him, feeling a bit more modest now she covered her breast with her arms. 

“Hey,” he leaned down, trying not sound panic, but he was sure the incident took years off his life. “It’s okay; when was the last time you ate?” He realized it was close to 11, and Hinata told him she had been in surgery since 3. 

“I had a sandwich right after you left,” Sakura admitted. She knew her small fainting spell was most likely because she was so hungry. Being a surgeon meant suppressing your bodily desires to ensure you give the patient 100%, but sometimes she forgot to turn that off. 

Kakashi put his boxers and jeans back on, “I’m making you a plate of food,” he kissed her forehead, “get dressed and come to the table.” With that, he made his way towards the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear the next chapter I'll give y'all a PROPER sex scene.


	8. Another 2 AM Conversation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A smutty surprise at the end ;) you've been warned.

She pulled out a shirt, too tired to pick one out, threw on some pajama shorts, and went to meet Kakashi in the kitchen. “Sit,” he ordered, standing by the microwave, waiting for the food to heat up. Sakura did as Kakashi instructed, no energy to protest him heating her dinner. The microwave beeped, and Kakashi brought her her food and sat down next to her, their knees touching. “Microwaved Chinese food after a fainting spell wasn’t really what I had planned for our first date, maybe we’ll have to have a do-over,” Kakashi put a plate together for himself, not caring enough to microwave it. 

“I’m sorry,” she picked at her veggies, “What were you planning? If I had shown up on time?”

“Well, I was going to take you to this ramen place that Naruto is obsessed with,” Kakashi started to eat. 

“Ichiraku’s?” Sakura had memories of eating there in college, her Naruto and Sasuke, who eat there at least once a week. Sometimes they had to stop Naruto from eating there every day. 

“Yeah, you know it?” Honestly, he wasn’t that surprised. Naruto had said he’d been going to that place since he moved here, and they moved to Konoha together. 

She nodded, taking another bite of food, “Yeah, but it’s been years since I’ve been there. I kind of miss it. Ramen isn’t my favorite food, but I’d always go out of my way for a bowl when it was raining.”

“I like that,” he smiled, “Afterward, I was going to take you to my place, maybe watch a movie or something. I know the ending is kind of lame; I’m not very creative.”

She shrugged, “I liked it. I’ve never been one for big flamboyant gestures. Also, I think you’re very creative, that thing you did with your tongue,” she found herself getting flustered at the image, “that was new.”

Kakashi cocked his eyebrow, “New? Sakura, has no one ever gone down on you before?” He felt bad for her because it probably met. She was with some pretty selfish guys, but he was also a little glad he was the only person to taste her. 

No, no one had. She tried to ask Sasuke if he would once, but he insisted it just wasn’t his thing. Since their breakup, she had a few flings here and there, and some offered, but she always declined. Having someone’s mouth so close felt even more intimate than sex, and she had never felt comfortable enough around anyone but Sasuke. Until now, apparently. “No,” she sighed, “It’s a little embarrassing, but yeah. Sasuke never wanted to and...” she trailed off, “just never happened after that.”

“Hey,” he lifted her chin up with his fingers, “You’re okay, you shouldn’t be embarrassed, oral can be kind of intense. But,” he leaned into her closer, she thought he was going in for a kiss, but he bypassed her lips and went for her ear. “I was just teasing you back there. Should I make you cum just using my tongue? Because I will for you, Sakura,” he wasn’t as gruff as he usually was when the conversation turned sexual. He sounded almost desperate for her to give him permission. Part of him wished he could be this smooth when he wasn’t talking about sex. 

“You can do that?” It was a dumb question to come from a doctor. Of course, he could. But the request was just so foreign she wasn’t sure how else to react. 

She felt a light kiss on the lobe of her ear before he pulled away, “Yes I can,” the shock on her face was cute, “I’ll do it for you tomorrow, okay?”

“Wait,” she pouted, “Why not tonight?” She might have fainted less than an hour ago, but she was also still incredibly horny. 

Kakashi glared at her, “Sakura, you worked over twelve hours today, fainted, and it’s almost midnight, don’t you think you should get some sleep soon?” As much as he hated to admit it, the fainting thing did kill the mood for him, just a little. 

She was tired, exhausted actually, but he made her forget all about that. “I mean maybe, but you know,” she started playing with her hair, “the endorphin release from orgasms are good for reducing stress and promoting sleep.”

“Hmm,” he smiled, “We’ll see. Let’s finish dinner first, okay?” Sakura reluctantly agreed, and they finished their meal in comfortable silence. Kakashi tried to wash their dishes afterward, but Sakura insisted he just leave them to soak, and she would get to it in the morning. “So did I pick a good place? I’ve never had their food before.”

“Yeah, it was good, honestly exactly what I needed after today,” she yawned, “Hey, come lie down with me.” she reached out for his hand. Part of her just wanted to come out and ask him to spend the night with her, but this was the most she could muster. Hopefully, he would catch on. 

He took it and gave a firm squeeze, “yeah, lead the way.” The two made their way to her bedroom. The bed top and sheets were still a little wrinkled from their before dinner interaction, but it seemed futile to fix it at this point. Kakashi laid down first, patting his chest, inviting her to lay down on it. She accepted, “Tell me about your surgery.”

The question caught her off guard. Even when she dated other doctors, no one wanted to hear about surgery. “Uh,” she collected herself, “It was a cardiac bypass, so we were giving him new arteries. Dr. Kato did the first graft, and she let me do the second one. But while I was doing it, a small clot had built up that we didn’t catch and exploded after I finished my graft. There was a lot of blood,” she sighed, “But I was able to stop the bleed, he’s going to have a longer recovery time, but he’ll be alright.”

Listening to her talk about how she saved a life gave him a head rush of endorphins. She was so smart and caring. He wished he could contribute something more substantial. All he did was punch people. “That explains the blood and being late. But I’m proud of you,” he started to play with her hair. 

She could have cried. Despite her many accomplishments, someone being proud of her was a rare comment. The first time Tsunade told her, she actually did break down. Her parents had said it, but they didn’t understand the medical world or approve of her being a part of it. They both just wanted her to get married and have kids. The only genuine ‘I’m proud of you’ she had ever gotten from her mother was after her engagement. “Thank you,” she forced out, trying not to freak this guy out. “But tell me about your day. I feel like we always talk about me.”

He resisted the urge to reply with ‘you’re just so much more interesting than me,’ but he wasn’t in the mood to argue. “Well, I went to the gym for a little in the morning then had a meeting with Genma. I dropped into Asuma’s class because his students wanted to meet me,” he hesitated before continuing. After that, he went to the cemetery, where his two best friends were buried. He often visited but always before a big event, like this date, for example. He told them all about Sakura. He would like to believe Obito would have said that Sakura was too good for him and that Rin would insist he be a perfect gentleman. 

Sakura’s finger started to trail Kakashi's chest. He still hadn’t put a shirt back on, not that she was complaining. Usually, she got a little nervous around shirtless men, especially when they looked like him, but he was different. But laying there in his arms was better than any muscle relaxant. Not registering the pause in his list, Sakura interjecting, unknowingly saving Kakashi but getting too real, “What kind of class does he teach?”

“Asuma teaches boxing and jiu-jitsu at my gym when he’s not some big shot lawyer,” he scoffed. Asuma could have gone pro like him, but he had a whole family legacy of lawyers he wasn’t willing to break. Besides, from what Kakashi understood, he was pretty good at his job. 

“You have a gym?” She shot up. “Why did I not know that?”

He gently patted her back, and she fell back onto his chest. “It was my dad’s gym, and when he passed, I inherited it. It was actually closed down for a little bit, but it’s been up and running the past five years. Naruto teaches there too and Kurenai, Asuma’s wife, but she’s on leave. Oh, and Genma, but I usually have to twist his arm.”

“Do you teach?” 

“No. I don’t have the patience for it. I tried once, but I couldn’t slow myself down enough actually to be effective.” He only did it because Kurenai thought it would be good for him. She was only a couple of years older than him, but she felt like his mom sometimes, not that he had anything to compare it to. 

“But you offered to teach me a few weeks ago,” she thought he was half-joking at the time, she still did actually. 

Sakura could feel his chest move up and down, “I’ll teach you if you want, but I’ll be honest,” he traced his fingers down the curve in her waist, “I was also trying to see you in spandex.”

Sakura pretended to be offended, “So rude,” she laughed. She pressed her hand tighter to his chest, “You know a lot more about me than I know about you. Will you tell me something about yourself?”

The demand was a little shocking, but he was willing to play along, “What do you want to know?”

“Well,” she thought, “Last time I told you about my ex, so tell me about the longest relationship you’ve ever had. It only seems fair.”

“It’s a sad story, are you sure you want to hear it?” The only person who knew about her was a friend who lived in Naka and Genma. Genma only knew because he was there for a lot of the relationship. But he found himself almost craving telling her about it. 

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I don’t scare easily,” she assured, “I don’t mind a little sadness.”

“Her name was Hanare. I was nineteen and still losing more fights than winning. I had a job at a restaurant, just as a busboy, but it wasn’t enough to pay the bills, so I did a couple of underground fights. You get paid whether you win or lose.” Those days almost seemed like a dream. He was surprised he never died while fighting in that ring. It was a lot more unruly than the fights he did now. “Anyways, there was a ring girl at some of the fights. Usually, they wear bikinis and a lot of makeup, and this one did, but she was too cute to pull off the whole sexy thing. I mean, she had a great body and looked good in the outfit, but it was a bit out of place.” Sakura listened very intently. He could see the high achieving student in her stare, “I told you I’m a bad flirt, so Genma, who caught me staring at her, basically got her to ask me out. We had fun for a couple of months. I think I told her I loved her after a couple of weeks,” he laughed. He had a habit of loving hard and fast; something Genma gave him grief for. “She even moved in with me when she got kicked out of her place. It was good for a couple of months. But,” his tone got darker, “I didn’t know much about her. One day I came home from a long shift, and all her stuff was gone, and all that was left was a note.”

“Kakashi...” she embraced him just a little bit tighter. 

“Turns out she was a runaway prostitute, and her pimp had found her. She was worried about what he would do to me, so she vanished. Never saw or heard from her again.” He had shown Genma the note once she had left, but this was the first time he had told the story out loud. He hoped she was doing okay, wherever she was. 

“That was sad,” she almost wanted to apologize for asking, but a calm washed over his face once he finished. Maybe he needed to tell her for some reason. “I’m sorry you went through it.”

“It’s okay, at least she didn’t die,” Rin’s face came to mind, “My first girlfriend died in the crash that gave me this scar,” he felt some panic as the words came out. Not even Genma knew about this one. He didn’t like talking about Obito and Rin. “So did my best friend,” he wanted to stop. He just wanted a nice night with a beautiful doctor by his side. But he couldn’t stop himself; his words were like a broken faucet.

Sakura knew what was happening but only because she was pretty sure it was exactly what happened to her weeks ago when she told him about Sasuke. “Tell me about them,” she asked softly. 

“Rin and Obito were their names. Obito was in love with Rin, and Rin was in love with me,” He started. 

“Who were you in love with?” 

“Honestly,” he looked down at her, “Both of them, maybe more so Obito.” Sakura looked a little surprised but didn’t interrupt. Once her expression faded, he continued, “But I was young and dumb and sixteen. Also, Obito was very straight, so I kissed Rin, and we started dating. Obito was pissed, but he forgave us because, ultimately, he said he was just happy we were happy, but I realized I wasn’t. I loved Rin, and I told her as much, but I was going through some other stuff at the time and became a huge jerk. Rin and Obito called me out on it, and so we broke up, and shortly after, Rin and Obito started dating.”

“Didn’t that get weird?” Sakura wasn’t sure if she would have the emotional intelligence to handle a situation like that now, let alone in high school.

Kakashi laughed at the absurdity of the situation since he had never told someone about the arrangement before. He hadn’t realized how weird it sounded. “You know, it didn’t. We were like you, Naruto and Sasuke, we’d all been inseparable since we were five. They were a good couple, they were happier together than not, and so I was happier. The day before graduation, we were driving home from a party. Obito and Rin were in the front, and I was in the back. Some drunk driver turned the corner and crashed head-on into us. The next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital, and someone told me Rin and Obito were gone.”

Sakura started crying. She felt dumb for doing so. She wanted to be there for him, but everything that had happened was just so tragic. “I’m sorry,” she said between sniffles, “I don’t mean to cry; it’s just-”

Kakashi patted her head, “Thank you for crying for me.” It was refreshing to be around someone who wasn’t afraid to have an emotional reaction. MMA fighters tended to generally, and unsurprisingly, be emotionless rocks. “Both my parents were dead at this point, and I was living on my own. I had to call one of my father’s old friends to come to pick me up. I wasn’t lying when I said I had never had a long hospital stay. I was only there like four hours. My eye and head hurt like a bitch, but it was pretty superficial all things considered.” He looked at her again and kissed the top of her hair, “But no one ever cried for me. Not after they died, or my parents dying or Hanare disappearing. It means a lot to me.” He almost wished he could cry with her, but he just couldn’t do it. 

“Really?” She wanted to ask about his parents, but that seemed like too much at the moment. 

“Really,” he assured her, “It’s nice, having someone care enough to cry.”

“Well, I cry all the time,” she dried her eyes with the hem of her shirt. “I always felt like such a baby because of it.” Sasuke hated it. He never knew what to do and would usually try and avoid her altogether when she got emotional. 

“Rin used to cry all the damn time,” he remembered, “so did Obito now that I’m thinking about it. They were emotional messes if I’m honest. Rin cried when I got my driver’s license because she was happy for me, and Obito cried after he broke his favorite mug.”

Sakura laughed at the thought of cool, calm, and collected Kakashi, trying to comfort two crying teenagers. “Okay, I’m not that bad, but it’s sweet. Maybe you have a type? Was Hanare also like that?”

Kakashi thought for a moment, “Yeah, she was actually. Not as bad as those two, but she tried to make us dinner once and burnt everything and started crying. Also, any movies where an animal or child died, she lost it.”

“So your type is emotional people. If you don’t mind me asking,” she had been holding onto a question for a while, “Have you ever had a boyfriend?” 

“No, not a proper one anyway. I’ve slept with a few guys, but the only one I had any chemistry with was a guy named Yamato. He was a good guy but had his issues. He wasn't very emotional, though,” he smirked at her. “Genma says he hates my taste in men. According to him, I’ll fuck anything buff and dumb when it comes to guys. But between you and me, I think he’s just super straight and obsessed with women,” Although he couldn’t argue with Genma on the buff part. 

“I think I’m starting to get to know you, Hatake,” she teased, the puffiness from her eyes was starting to fade. 

“So, do you have a type?” He asked. 

“I don’t know. You and Sasuke aren’t very similar,” she stopped, “Well, actually, that’s not true. His whole family died too.” She looked at Kakashi, who stayed silent at the comparison. “He was always in pain. Maybe I just like people who I can help heal. I guess that would explain my career choice.”

“You know, it’s hard to help yourself when you’re trying to help everyone around,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her, “But you do make me feel better. Just don’t wear yourself out, okay?”

“Okay,” she had worn herself out. For years, she was constantly trying to heal someone who seemed just to rip the stitches out. But maybe Kakashi would appreciate them and let them heal, leaving behind only a faint scar. “Can I fall asleep like this?”

“Yeah,” he had put an extra set of clothes and a toothbrush in his car, just in case. “I still owe you breakfast.” Shortly after, both fell asleep, wrapped in each other’s arms. 

**

Kakashi woke up first. He had fallen asleep in jeans, and the erection in his pants was extremely uncomfortable. He tried to make it go away but having a hot girl pressed upon him wasn’t helping. Usually, he could tuck it in his waistband, but with no shirt on, that was also out of the question. He settled on just unbutton his jeans and pulling the zipper down. It might be awkward if she woke up soon, but he was out of ideas. 

“Good morning,” she slowly lifted her head off his chest and looked at his face, “How did you sleep.”

He should have found her saying on his chest all night kind of annoy, but it was one of the best nights of sleep he had ever gotten, “Good, yourself?”

“Good,” she moved her leg ever so slightly, but it was enough for her thigh to brush against his cock that was poking out through a pair of red boxers. “Hmm,” she teased, “A little excited this morning.”

“I have the hottest girl I’ve ever met sleeping on top of me for the past eight hours. I’m only human, Sakura-chan,” he moved to kiss her. Maybe it wouldn’t be as awkward as he thought. 

She kissed him back, moving her leg over him so she could straddle him, her shorts now the only separation between the two. “Take your pants off,” she whispered.

He grabbed her waist, twisting her, so her back hit the bed, and he leaned over her. “You too,” he stood up, dropping his pants and boxers. Quickly Sakura moved her hips and pulled her shorts off, throwing them to the side. She had seen him fully naked and hard last night, but she fainted soon after that, so the image was a little blurry, it was also much darker. But now he was in full view, the light from the rising sun shining on him like a fucking Greek God. “Fuck Sakura,” he fell back on top of her, “I know I said I’d eat you out until you came, but,” he kissed her neck and moved up to her ear. “Can I fuck you first?”

She had completely forgotten his promise from the other night, “Yes,” she gasped as his mouth moved to her breast, suckling them while awaiting her reply. “Please fuck me, Kakashi.”

The desperation in her, please, was all he needed to hear. Usually, he liked to play and tease for actually having sex. Sex without foreplay was pretty shitty in his opinion, but when he reached down to her folds, he realized how wet she was. “Care to tell me why you’re so wet, princess?” 

“Because,” she shuttered as his fingers glided across her clit. “I’ve wanted you to fuck me for months now.”

He would have to put aside his convictions just this once. It seemed neither of them wanted to wait. She felt even better than he expected, barely able to take all of him in, and he loved it. The looks she had on her face every time he thrust himself entirely inside her almost made him giddy. “When did you first want me to fuck you?”

The question caught Sakura off guard. She had been busy adjusting to his size. It was the biggest she had ever had to take in for sure. She winced before answering, “Since I saw you on TV during that date,” she whispered. 

“Sakura-chan,” he teased, “Were you fantasizing about me when you were with another man? That’s very naughty.”

He played close attention to her breast again, making her squirm. She found she liked the reaction he gave when she answered his question. She liked pleasing him. “I have a confession,” before now she vowed to take this secret to her grave because it was so embarrassing, but now, she wanted him to know exactly how much she wanted him. “That night, I was horny but didn’t want to sleep with my date,” Kakashi raised an eyebrow, slowing his thrusts to listen carefully to her words. “So I touched myself to you. I watched one of your warm-up videos-” she screamed as she felt herself being lifted. At that angle, she thought his cock was almost in her stomach. It was up so deep. 

“Holy shit Sakura,” he bit down on her shoulder before regaining himself, “I almost came when you said that.” He had never known that words could do that to him. “I’m close,” he admitted, “if you’re not, I can stop and eat you out.”

“No,” she whimpered, “just a little longer, I’m close too, please, Kakashi!” She dug her nails into his back, refusing to give. 

It was the most comfortable position to keep, but he didn’t want to give it up. Sakura’s moans and whimpers when his cock hit the end was maybe hotter than actually fucking her. But luckily, he only had to keep this up a little longer. “Fuck Sakura, cum for me, I want it all over my cock.” 

As if on command, she came, her walls tightening around him was the final straw, and seconds later, he came too. They cleaned up, luckily avoiding staging her sheets, and laid back down, both naked and their breathing a little more challenging. “I know that probably wasn’t the kinkiest, but I think that’s the hottest sex I’ve ever had.” Sakura grabbed his hand. 

“Same. Sorry, I didn’t last very long, I promise next time,” he squeezed her hand, “next time I’ll take my time with you. If you want there to be a next time, that is,” Normally he was pretty confident when it came to sex. But he had a pang of insecurity, one he hadn’t had since the first time he had sex, about his performance. 

“Yes,” she rolled over on top of him, letting go of his hand, “But next time will you do that thing you said?” 

He grunted, cupping each cheek of her ass in his hands and squeezed, “Sakura-chan,” he kissed her, “Of course I will, but you’re a doctor, don’t be bashful. Tell me you want my tongue on your pussy.”

She resented that doctor comment, even if it was true. “Kakashi Hatake, will you put your tongue on my pussy and make me cum?” 

“Of course, Sakura Haruno, but first, let’s grab breakfast. I’m hungry.” He gently pushed her off and got dressed. He did bring extra clothes, but at this point, he just wanted food and didn’t feel like going out to the car. Sakura got off the bed and slipped on a bra, underwear, and a sundress with pink and green flowers on it. “I like the dress,” Kakashi took the hem of it in his hands. He had forgotten how much he liked sundresses. 

“And I like you better with no shirt,” she returned the favor grabbing his hem. “But we should get going, I think we both learned that skipping meals and just having sex doesn’t end well,” she let go and wrapped her arms around his neck. “After breakfast, I have to run a couple of errands, but maybe I could come to your place tonight?”

“I’ll cook you dinner,” he bent down and grabbed Sakura’s legs, lifting her so that her head was above his. He heard a small squeal as he did it, “I’ll kick Genma out too.”

“Sounds perfect,” he pressed her forehead against his. 

“So Sakura-chan,” he had a devilish look on his face, “Are we going to talk about how you masturbated to a video of me before you cut me open?”

It seemed so hot to tell him at the time, but now it was just embarrassing. She hid her head in his chest, “No!” She squealed. He just chuckled and kissed the top of her head. He would drop it- for now, at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY SHIT WHEN I STARTED THIS STORY IT WASN'T SUPPOSE TO TAKE THIS LONG FOR THEM TO BANG.


	9. Wrecked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright updates like start slowing down. I had a bunch of chapters written before I posted this but I'm catching up to where I'm just drafting. I'm also struggling because I wrote this with no idea where it was going to end and I still don't sooo we're gonna see how this goes. This chapter is kind of sad there is a character who has a panic attack with some sad imagry just to warn you guys.

Breakfast went well. The two held a good conversation that was considerably lighter than some of their late-night topics. She learned he hated loud music, preferring soft rock, and indie. She was kind of surprised by this, but Kakashi seemed to be full of surprises. He also learned some interesting things about her. She did cheer in high school; he would have to ask if she still had the uniform later also that she and Naruto were almost arrested for having weed in their dorms freshman year. 

They had taken separate cars for convenience's sake, agreeing to meet back up at 7. Once Sakura got back in her car, she saw Kakashi give her a wave and drive off. Immediately Sakura called Ino. She had barely talked to her the past couple of weeks. She had been so busy traveling but the handful of times they had talked, Ino always asked if she had slept with Kakashi yet. “I slept with Kakashi,” she exclaimed out as soon as the ringing stopped. 

“Yo, Sakura,” a male’s voice picked up, “I just met Ino for some coffee and thought I’d say hi before I left. But it sounds like you’ve got a lot of talk about with her.”

“Shikamaru?” Sakura hadn’t seen him for years. He was always more Ino’s friend, but she liked him, they still got along well. “I’m so sorry,” she hit her forehead. 

“It’s fine. I’m just going to hand the phone back to Ino. I’ll see you at the wedding, yeah?” Before Sakura could answer, though, Ino had the phone. 

“Sakura?” she sounded confused, “What did you tell Shika to make him run away so fast?”

Sakura groaned. It was pretty embarrassing, but then again, Shika had to drive her and Ino home senior year after getting on top of a bar and started stripping because they were drunk. He was also really cool, not telling Sasuke about the event. So there were worse people to yell that to, “I fucked Kakashi this morning.” 

“What? Fucking finally,” she laughed, “if you didn’t soon, I was going to!”

“Ew. Not funny,” Sakura rolled her eyes. 

“I’m kidding forehead,” her laugh was still present, “Everyone knows he’s been head over heels for you the past week. Genma and I were talking about it. He told me you guys had a date last night.” She paused for a moment, “Wait, did you say you had sex this morning? Like for the first time?”

“Yeah. We tried to last night, but I fainted because I was so hungry and tired,” she flicked her head back, still annoyed with herself. Then she started her car, moving onto her car speaker. She had to go to the bank and get groceries, but her head was spinning with everything that transpired in the past 24 hours. “But Ino holy shit. The sex was so good. He’s huge and went down on me, plus his voice just,” She forced herself to focus on the road. 

“I still can’t believe you and Sasuke dated for eight years, and he never went down on you,” Ino shook her head. “But good! You deserve to have good sex. It’s important! How big exactly?”

Sakura thought for a second. It was hard to say now, “I’m not exactly sure, but he barely fit. And it hit all the right places.”

“I’ve been waiting since freshman year of college for you to talk like this about sex!” Ino loved talking about sex. She made a career out of it. “When are you going to see him again?”

“Tonight. He’s making me dinner at his place. What should I wear?” He said he had liked her dress this morning, but what do you wear to date at someone’s house?

“Wear a dress but don’t wear panties underneath,” Sakura couldn’t see, but there was a big smirk on Ino’s face. 

She looked down at the dress she was wearing now. Kakashi probably would like that, “Is that sundress with the pink flowers, okay?”

Ino scoffed, “Honey, any dress is fine. You could wear sweatpants and a hoodie, and he’d still be fucking in love with you.”

“Love?” Sakura would have spit her drink out if she had one. “He doesn’t love me. We went on our first day last night, and it was kind of a disaster.”

“Look,” Ino explained, “I don’t know much about your relationship, but Genma told me he’s never been late for an appointment with you, and he’s never on time for anything. Second I heard he bring you, your intern, and Hinata coffee every week. He’s trying to impress the people in your life. If he’s not in love with you right now, he’s getting there.”

“Shut up, Pig,” Sakura pulled up to the bank, “Hey, I have to go. I’ll call you tomorrow?” 

“Yeah, sounds good. I’ll be expecting a full report!” With that, they said their goodbyes and hung up. Sakura got out of the car and walked into the building. She wondered if Ino was right, and was she falling in love with him?

**

Kakashi got home and greeted by Pakkun. He kneeled and gave the attention-starved dog several minutes of belly rubs. “So, did you have another night of cuddling with the good doctor?” Genma teased, coming out of his room. Never one to kiss and tell, Kakashi just arched his brow and took off his shirt and making his way to his room to change. Genma looked back as he passed, noticing the scratch marks on his back. “Oh shit,” he followed him. “Fucking finally.”

“Hey, get out of the apartment tonight,” Kakashi changed into his workout clothes. “Sakura’s coming over at seven, and I don’t want you harassing her.”

“Sakura loves me,” Genma put his heart over his chest. “But lucky for you, I’m going out with a friend tonight. I’ll be back at around 1 or 2 in the morning, is that okay?”

It wasn’t ideal, but he could only reasonably kick his roommate out for so long. “Fine, but you’ll be out by seven?”

“We’re meeting at eight, can’t I at least say hi to her?” Genma frowned. 

“Fine,” Kakashi didn’t feel like arguing anymore. “But, don’t be a dumbass.” He walked passed him, heading out the door. 

“Oh, Kakashi,” Genma said softly after he left, “You don’t have to try so hard. She likes you a lot already.” He looked down at the door, “Isn’t that right, Pakkun?” 

**

It was rare that Kakashi visited the grave two days in a row. But a lot was going on, and it was easier to talk to dead people. “Obito, Rin, I wish you could meet her. She’s just,” he sighed, “she’s amazing. I’ve never felt like this before. I mean, I loved Hanare, but I don’t know. I was always so confident and sure of myself with her. But Sakura makes me want to be a better man. She makes me not want to be a miserable person.” He sat down and touched the stone. 

Next to it was Rin’s, “Rin, you’d be so proud of me. I took care of myself after the surgery. I went to all my appointments on time and did everything the doctor told me to do, it helps she was pretty but,” he laughed to himself. “I’d like to believe you guys would have gotten along. You’re both kind and caring, smart. Did I mention she was a surgeon? You thought about being a doctor once.” He sat down and pulled his knees up, resting his head on them. “I’m trying to be better to Sakura than I was to you. I’m sorry I was such a shitty boyfriend. I think I just knew Obito loved you more than I did, and it made me feel guilty. But I’m making her dinner tonight.” He was waiting for a response he knew he would never get. After an unreasonable amount of time just sitting and staring, he stood up, finally making his way to the gym. 

It was nice to go back to his regular workouts. He wasn’t where he was before the surgery but close. Afterward, he showered at the gym and went to his office. Sometimes he forgot he technically owned the place, especially the past few weeks. Not being able to train was tough on him at first, so he thought it was best not to come by at all. There was a stack of papers on the desk. Kurenai had told him she left some documents to sign when he could get around to it. He sighed and got to work. After getting through about half the papers, there was a knock on the door. Kakashi said to come in, “Hey, what’s up buddy,” Asuma walked in. It looked like he was about to work out. 

“Your wife left me stacks of papers to sign,” he didn’t look up, wanting to finish as soon as possible. 

“Sorry about that. I asked her if I could just forge your signature on a few of those, but she brought up the fact I could get disbarred for that.” He laughed, “So how was your date last night?”

Kakashi looked up from his papers, “How did you know about that?”

“Look, I know you don’t talk in the group chat, but you at least read it, right?” Asuma’s brow furrowed. Based on the look of confusion on Kakashi’s face, he hadn’t. Asuma shook his head, “Kurenai asked you to come by the gym last night to fill out the paperwork, but when you didn’t respond, Genma said you were on a date. That’s why she just texted you individually this morning.”

He remembered now, they started a group chat almost a year ago, and he muted it immediately. “Oh, that thing, my bad,” Kakashi went back to filling out paperwork, “and it was nice.” 

“So was it with your pretty doctor friend?” He teased. “You better be careful, if Kurenai finds out there’s no way you’re getting out of dinner with us.”

Kakashi groaned, “Why is everyone freaking out? I just brought her some take out after her shift.” He decided not to mention breakfast the next morning. “It’s not like she’s my girlfriend,” he crossed his arms, almost pouting. 

“Come on, Kakashi,” Asuma leaned against the wall, “you know we just fuss over you because we care. Don’t be such a baby about it, I’ve got one kid to worry about, and I don’t need another,” Asuma’s dad voice had started once he found out Kurenai was pregnant. Kakashi hated it. 

“Whatever,” he finished the last document.

Asuma shook his head, “If you’re done acting like a twelve-year-old,” Kakashi rolled his eyes at the comment, “Wanna join me for some light sparring? I know you won’t be fully cleared for a couple of days, but you seem to be healed up, and I’ll go easy on ya.”

That sounded great. Kakashi was itching to fight the past five and a half weeks, but he looked at the clock. It was somehow already five o’clock, and he still had to grab groceries and cook. “I can’t, but today,” he sighed, “Friday?”

“Have somewhere to be?” Asuma noticed his attention to the clock. Kakashi didn’t answer while gathering his stuff, “Two dates in a row?” Asuma stopped him before he walked out and felt his forehead, “Are you feeling okay? Should I be worried,” he couldn’t say it with a straight face. 

“God help your daughter,” he muttered, walking past him. He left Asuma, still laughing at his last joke and the gym. Kakashi hated buying groceries; that was the real highlight of having surgery. Guilt-tripping Genma into doing it. It used not to bother him, but ever since he started going televised fights, he was beginning to get more recognizable. The first time it happened, Kakashi just straight up ignored them, but Genma convinced him to pretend to be nice because it was good for his image. When he couldn’t get out of groceries, he could avoid most people by going to the twenty-four grocery store at 2 am. But obviously, it was unavoidable today. He was out of eggplant. Luckily the trip went without incident. He was able to get in and out pretty quickly. By the time he got home, he would hopefully have an hour to get ready before she came over. 

Earlier today, he was looking forward to seeing her, and he still was, but the closer he got to his house, the more his anxiety got to him. He was starting to remember why he tended to run away from meaningful relationships. It had been so long he practically forgot, but he was scared. Scared, he was going to lose her. He pulled up to his parking spot and turned off his car, with his forehead pressed against the wheel, images flashed back to Rin and Obito. He remembered Rin giving him his first kiss and taking his virginity. Then he remembered wrestling with Obito, both of them bruised and laughing. But as fast as the happy images appeared, their dead and bloodied bodies rushed through him. He could feel his heartbeat quicken and for a moment, he couldn’t breathe. Soon they were replaced with his father’s body on the ground in a pool of blood. He had convinced himself once before that it wouldn’t happen again, he wouldn’t lose anyone else, but then there was Hanare; he tried and failed with her too. He reached for his phone, about to cancel on Sakura. He convinced himself it was for the best for her to stay away from him. But as he did, there was a call from an unknown number, with a Naka area code. There was only one person it could be. He answered, “Kakashi,” the familiar voice put his mind at ease almost instantly, “My eternal rival! How are you! I finally got a cellphone and wanted you to be my first call.”

Never in his life was he so happy to hear that obnoxious voice on the other end, part of him wanted to cry. But he took a deep breath, trying to collect himself. “Good to hear from you, Guy. Finally made the jump I see,” he unlocked his door, grabbed the groceries, and headed to his place. 

“Well, Genma called my office the other day to talk about your Naka match and told me you had surgery not long ago. Of course, I had to make sure my rival was healing up alright. I need you in top fighting condition next time we spar!” Kakashi had to hold the phone away from his ear as he walked up the steps. “Lee, my protege, wanted me to get a phone because he said it would be more professional. We old men must keep up with the Spring of youth.”

“Guy, we're 27, we are the youth,” was all Kakashi could manage before opening his door. 

“Ah, but there’s a younger youth out there. I should know! I teach them!” 

Usually, Guy gave him a headache, but he found himself craving the unfaltering optimism. He swore Guy had a sixth sense about him, always appearing when Kakashi needed him the most, even if neither of them knew it. He considered Genma as close to a best friend as he had, but Guy was family, always had been. “Yeah, sure. Hey, can I call you back later? I have somewhere to be in an hour.”

“Is it a date with your cute doctor?” Guy said with more bravado than Kakashi was comfortable with. 

He was going to kill Genma, “I’m hanging up now.” Before Guy could protest, he ended the call. After setting down the groceries, he heard his phone buzz. It was Guy who sent him a selfie with his thumb up, and underneath it, a text wrote ‘good luck.’ He set the phone down and smiled, starting on the eggplant. Maybe things would be different this time.

“So,” Genma came out of his room while Kakashi was cooking, “whatcha making us?” Genma asked, leaning on the kitchen’s countertop. 

“I’m making Sakura dinner. I’m not making you shit,” he covered a pot. He was a decent cook. He had to learn when he was young. If he wanted anything, he didn’t steal from the corner market. “Also, I just talked to Guy,” he glared, “Do you have to tell everyone I’ve gone on like two dates with some girl? It’s getting annoying everyone bugging me about it.”

“No, I don’t,” he smirked, “But I will because it’s fun to mess with you also because this isn’t just some girl, Kakashi. Don’t try to fool yourself, I know you better than you think.” 

He was right; she wasn’t some girl. But he wasn’t sure what you call her. A panic attack waiting to happen, maybe? “Look, I think you’re the last person qualified to psychoanalysis me.”

Genma reached for a piece of bread on the counter that Kakashi had cut but recoiled when Kakashi swatted him away, “Actually, as someone who slept with a sex and relationship therapist, I believe I’m the perfect person to psychoanalysis you.” He stood up straight with his pointer finger in the air, “Literally, you fall in love so fucking fast. You told Hanare you loved her and let her move in after like two weeks? It’s been almost six weeks with this girl. Also, you’re making her fucking dinner. I barely see you make food for yourself! I say this as someone who actively avoids getting into relationships, although, for a very different than you do, just make her your girlfriend and stop trying to be all mysterious because it’s annoying.”

Kakashi put the knife he was using down, “Why is everyone trying to fucking parent me today? Can’t you all just leave me the fuck alone. What do you want to hear? Huh?” his voice started to get louder. “Yes, I like this girl a lot, and I don’t know how to fucking deal with it, okay? Fuck!” He picked the knife back up and kept cutting the vegetables, grumbling to himself.

Wide-eyed Genma stood in silence. He wasn’t offended by the outburst, just very caught off guard, “Uh Kakashi,” he finally interjected, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you yell before. You okay, buddy?”

He kept cutting the vegetables, but he thought about it. He hadn’t yelled like that since high school when Obito filled his car with shaving cream. “Yeah,” he seemed to snap back into his regular self, “Uh, sorry about that.”

Laughter erupted from Genma’s gut, “You’re so into her it’s hard to watch, man,” he keeled over, “And here I thought you were going to die a lonely, grumpy, bitter old man. There’s hope for you yet.”

Sakura would be here any minute, and Kakashi felt like his brain was about to explode. A date at his place seemed like such a good idea this morning. Was he going to be able to keep it together once she got here? Well, he was about to find out because he heard a knock at the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewatched the episode where baby Kakashi cries while trying to "wash it off" after Rin's death to prepare for this. Our baby is FEELING things. Don't worry Guy will come back in some big ways in future chapters.


	10. A Weight Lifted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I just wanted to ask you guys since I think I have an ending in sight for this story I've starting to think of my next one. I'm thinking either one about Kakashi and Sakura's relationship developing after the war is over and they bond over raising Sarada, it's in-universe but just a bit of a canon divergence. The other idea is significantly angstier. Sasuke dies in the war and it destroys Sakura so she dives into ANBU and Kakashi, after being Hokage joins back with ANBU to help pull her out of her depression. Both are going to be angsty and smutty but the first one probably way more domestic. So anyone have a preference for which one I do next?

Kakashi went to the door, throwing his hoodie off and tossing it into the closet. Before he answered the door, he ruffled his hair in case the hoodie had messed it up. “Holy shit, just open the door, you look fine,” Genma rolled his eyes. 

Kakashi glared before opening it to Sakura, who was wearing the sundress he had seen her in earlier that day and holding a bottle of wine. “Hey,” he wanted to kiss her but having Genma stare at them made him a little nervous, “you look nice.” 

“Not too bad yourself,” she handed him the wine and walked in, “Hello Genma,” she waved. 

Genma had to admit, out of scrubs, Sakura was pretty cute, “Hello love,” he got up and hugged her. Kakashi was rolling his eyes while setting the wine down. He was annoyed at Genma for hugging her but more annoyed at himself for not. “How was work today?”

“Today was my day off,” Sakura wasn’t a big hugger, but Genma kind of reminded her of Ino, very few personal boundaries. So she gave him a small hug back. “Kakashi and I got breakfast. Then I just did a bunch of errands I’ve been putting off.”

“Breakfast, huh?” Kakashi had purposely left that detail out this morning. Genma glanced over to Kakashi, whose head was in his hands. 

“Yeah?” Sakura was oblivious to what was going on. “So,” she asked, still confused about the inflection in the question. “Are you joining us for dinner?”

“No.” Kakashi’s voice was stern, “He was just leaving.”

“Ah, it’s true, I have plans tonight,” Genma grabbed his keys from the hook next to the door. He was leaving earlier than he wanted to, but Kakashi looked like he was about to lose it on him. “Have fun, you two!” He waved his back already to them. 

“I’m so sorry about him,” he groaned, “I swear I’m going to get him fixed.” 

“Why are you apologizing? He just said hi and asked me about my day.” Sakura pointed out. She had noticed an odd tension in the air when she arrived. “You okay?” He looked a little stressed. 

It hit him that Sakura hadn’t picked up on how annoying Genma was being. That or Kakashi was still a little anxiety ladened. “Yeah,” he sighed, grabbing a corkscrew and opening the wine, “today was weird.” He wasn’t a big drinker, but a glass of wine sounded good right about then, “Want me to pour you a glass?”

“Sure,” she went to stand next to him, “Want to talk about it?”

He poured two glasses and handed her one, “I mean I just had to finish a lot of paperwork to catch up on for the gym and had an old friend call me out of nowhere. It was good; it just caught me off guard.” He also had a panic attack, but there was no way he would bring that up. With his hand not holding a glass and cupped one of her cheeks, his thumb gliding over it, “But everything is better now.”

“Good,” she tilted her head into his hand. “It’s funny. I also got a call from an old friend. Well kind of,” she at least talked to him on the phone. “I called Ino, and he picked up, I guess they were getting coffee.”

“Should Genma be jealous?” he smirked. Taking a sip and pulling his hand out. 

“Oh, no. Their families have been friends for years; they’re basically siblings.” She peered over to the couch, “Hey, want to sit down?” 

“Put your glass down,” Kakashi ordered. Sakura was about to protest and ask what that had to do with sitting, but she trusted him, so she set the glass down. Kakashi grabbed her hips and lifted her onto the counter, “Sorry, I have to stay by the food,” he handed her her glass, “but I’m not letting you get away from me.” He wedged his way in between her legs and kissed her. His hands gripped onto her thighs. 

It was nice when they kissed outside of her apartment. She had to aim when raising herself to his lips. But now she could just focus on him. As her hands ran through his hair, his hands pushed the hem of her dress up. “Kakashi,” she moaned, pulling away from his mouth, “I have a little surprise for you.” When Ino told her not to wear panties, she was so nervous and thought she would regret it later. So much so she brought a pair in her purse just in case. But now, well, she would have to call Ino later to thank her. 

“What is it?” the word escaped him as he worked on her neck. But as he moved his hands up higher, he figured it out for himself. He pulled back, flipping up her dress and lowering himself to get a better look. Sakura tried to adjust her dress back down, but Kakashi grabbed her hand. “Sakura-chan,” he traced the outer folds with his fingers, “You can’t come to my house in a dress with no panties, then get all bashful.” 

He brought his mouth closer, letting go of her hand so that both hands could grab her back, pulling her closer to him. “What-” But before she could finish, she felt him on her clit again, similar to last time, but instead of just a tease with the tip of his tongue, he went in with the broadside, it felt like a shock went through her body, “Holy shit Kakashi,” She let out a little louder. 

Hearing his name come out of her mouth like that made him more desperate for her. He started getting more aggressive around her clit, occasionally making his way down, fucking her with his tongue. He had always liked oral, both giving and receiving, but he felt like he was getting a high off slurping her up; she tasted so good. His hands moved down so he could brace her legs. She had started to squirm so much. He finally came up, “Try and stay still princess,” Sakura could see the wetness down his chin. He went back down, teasing a little more now. The feeling of pleasure was starting his fill up in her chest. She felt like she was starting to get close to a climax. He worked a little longer, but despite his nose being well into her, he could smell a faint burning sound. “Shit,” he pulled away, he had forgotten the food on the stove. 

Sakura could smell it too, but if there was any a time she needed him, it was now. She grabbed the back of her head, “Please? I’m so close,” it was practically a squeak. Without hesitation, Kakashi went back to finish what he started. He’d let the whole damn apartment burn down if it meant she would cum. It wasn’t long after that he could feel her legs tighten suddenly around him before relaxing considerably. He stood up quickly and moved to turn off the stove. Sakura sat on the counter, trying to collect herself. “Did I ruin dinner?” 

Kakashi wiped his chin, “Well, the bottom of the rice is a little burnt, but I’d say the benefits outweighed the consequences.” He walked back over, “How was I?”

“Holy shit,” she stood up and wrapped her arms around him, “You were amazing. I’ve never felt that good in my life.” He removed her arms so she could jump down from the counter. But after she got down, she felt her legs shake and held onto Kakashi’s shirt for balance. “Sorry,” her legs had never felt like this after orgasming. He was on a completely different level than Sasuke, that much was clear. 

“No problem,” he helped her stand up straight. “So you want to tell me why you didn’t wear any underwear to my house?” he teased. Grabbing plates from the cabinets and handing her one. 

She took the plate to the stove. There was rice, chicken, and eggplant. She was impressed by how good it looked. She could cook boxed mac and cheese and microwave meals. “I mean, I didn’t have a solid plan but basically because of what you just did,” she smiled. She had never felt so light before, “Was it okay?”

“Of course it is,” he gave a small tap to her butt before grabbing his food, ‘I’m going to expect it every time now, though.”

Sakura sat down at the small dining table and started to eat, “Can I expect that every time?”

He wanted to tell her he would be happy to do that every day of her life. But that seemed a bit much. Instead, he shrugged, “You’ll just have to find out Sakura-chan.” He took a bite. The rice was a bit smokey, but again, he thought it was worth it. “How’s the food?”

“So good!” She took another bite. He was buff, good at oral, had tattoos, and could cook. He was straight out of a romance novel, “Hey, what’s the tattoo on your arm? If you don’t mind me asking.” She had kept meaning to ask, but every time she saw it, he was shirtless, and on top of him, so she was a bit distracted. 

He groaned, “Yeah, it’s dumb though,” He rolled up his sleeve so she could get a better look. “When I was underground before my career got more professional, I was starting to win more matches and become kind of popular. It’s a weird tradition that if you get good enough, you get the tattoo and nickname. They have a club for all the people with the tattoo called ANBU.”

There was a darker side of ANBU, Kakashi had been a drug runner for them for a short time and acted as muscle, but that would be a story for Sakura on another day. “A nickname? What was it?” She poked with a big smile. 

He groaned again but had a bit of a smile this time, “So greedy tonight,” he shook his head, “I had two, one was Copy Kakashi, and the other was Cold Blood. The copy thing just came because I’m proficient in a bunch of different types of fighting, so it’s easy for me to copy my opponent's style and use it against them.”

“That’s so cool,” she looked at him. He swore he could see stars in her eyes. “Hey, by the way,” she looked around, “where’s Pakkun?” 

“He’s in my room sleeping. He’s an old man now, so he’s out a lot of the time.” They finished their meal, not talking too much as both of them were anxious to touch each other again.

“After you teach me how to fight, you should teach me how to cook,” Sakura picked up her plate and his and brought them to the kitchen. “That was so good. Where did you learn?” 

Kakashi was about to protest her cleaning up after him, but the image of her being domestic in a sundress was too good a sight to pass up. He could almost hear Rin’s voice lecturing him about how chauvinistic the image was, but he could tune it out just for the night. “I taught myself. It’s not hard. There are cookbooks and google; you just have to read a recipe. Once you do it enough times, it’s just muscle memory, I guess. But maybe next time you could help me,” he sat back, sipping his wine. “I’m surprised you don’t know how to cook, though.”

Sakura came back to the table and grabbed his hand, pulling him to the couch, “My mother tried to when I was a teenager, but I just didn’t care enough. She’d get so mad and tell me I’d never get a good husband if I couldn’t cook,” she giggled. They sat down, Kakashi first, and while Sakura was going to sit next to him, but before she could, he pulled her onto his lap. “Now, who's getting greedy?” 

“Still you,” he kissed her cheek. While he wouldn’t be upset if they had sex right then and there, a part of him needed this comfort of just sitting with her, talking and laughing. His brain had been all of the places all day; it was exhausting. But he could feel himself recharge with her on his lap, “So how did you get through college not knowing how to cook?”

“Okay,” she turned towards him, looking a little embarrassed, “don’t judge me too much, but if I didn’t eat out, I make box mac and cheese and ate it from a pot,” she covered her face. “I moved in with Ino eventually and thank god that woman can cook. But during finals, we would both just share a pot of mac and cheese and a bottle of tequila. Those were fun times.”

He did find the image cute of her, and her friend huddled over books, mac and cheese, and tequila, but at the same him it was slightly horrifying. She was so slim. Her metabolism must have been insane. “Sounds fun. I used to be quite the drinker myself, but it tends to turn me into an aggressive asshole, so try to stay away from it now,” He also had a minor coke problem but again, stories for another day. 

“Same. Well, I’m not an asshole, but Ino says I get all depressed when I’m drunk,” she didn’t mention that started happening ever since Sasuke, “But Ino and I used to be pretty wild. Our friend Shikamaru, the one who I talked to today, used to have to pick us up from bars when Naruto couldn’t, or he was there drunk with us.” She had some good memories of Naruto back in the day. “I’m not proud of this, but Shika did have to drag Ino and I out of the school’s fountain one night and,” she hesitated, saying the next part. She had gotten so into the memories she forgot how racy the story got. But she could see Kakashi was invested now, “We might have only been wearing our underwear.”

“Really?” Sakura seemed so calm and relaxed, but he realized now a younger him, and a younger her, might have also gotten along, “Lucky man.”

“You know, you would think, but he was so mad because we had woken him up. Shika isn’t really like other guys. We never saw him with another girl all of college then like a little over a year ago, he’s defending someone in a court case and sleeps with the other guy’s lawyer,” she shrugged, “Now they’re engaged. Their wedding is next month.”

Kakashi hated weddings, but he would go just to see her all dressed up. “Are you going?”

“Yeah. So is Naruto. If he didn’t pick you up that day, that would have been the next place I saw him.” She had forgotten about the wedding actually, with work and Kakashi being ample distractions.

“Asuma got married last year, I was the best man, and I showed up thirty minutes before the ceremony started,” Kurenai almost killed him. He had never been so afraid in life, and he had fought guys much bigger than her. He had been training for a fight and got a little carried away. 

“Oh, that’s pretty bad,” she winced, “that’s cool though that you were the best man. I think I would only be a maid of honor for Ino, but I don’t see her marrying anyone anytime soon.” 

“Hey,” he thought it best to change the subject, they had been talking about weddings a little too long, “Sorry if this is kind of boring. I didn’t have anything planned pass dinner.”

“I’m having fun,” she kissed his forehead, “besides I have an early shift tomorrow morning, so you only have to keep me entertained a couple more hours.” 

“Hey, did you bring a jacket?” He asked he did one idea of something they could. Some might even call it romantic. 

“I brought a cardigan, but it’s not very warm.” She liked the look in his eye. 

“Okay,” he moved her off his lap, “I’ll be right back.” He left to go to his room and, after a few minutes, returned with a hoodie and blanket, “Here put this on.” Sakura did as he said, the hoodie fell to where her dress had, and she had to roll up the sleeves to make any use of her hands. But she liked how warm it was and how it smelled. Maybe someday he’d let her keep it. She tried to ask where they were going, but Kakashi just told her it was a surprise. He grabbed their glasses, the wine, and led her out the apartment, up a staircase to the building’s roof. “Here we are,” he set the wine and glass down, then laid out the blanket. It was a nice view of the city lights, and above them, the stars were surprisingly bright despite the light pollution. 

“Kakashi, this is beautiful,” she laid down on the blanket, looking at the stars. 

Kakashi laid down too, he put his head on her stomach, laying almost perpendicular to her, his hand clasped in each other resting on his chest. “Is this okay?” He hoped it would be. 

“Of course,” she started stroking his hair. “Do you come up here a lot?” 

Almost every night, but usually just to get some alone time. It hadn’t even occurred to him to take a girl up here before. “Yeah, I like it up here. Nothing to bug me or expect anything of me, it’s a nice little escape.” He stopped, trying to backtrack his words, “I mean you should expect things out of me but-”

“Shh,” Sakura was starting to realize Kakashi was a bit more anxious than he led on, “I know. I expect to have fun with you, and I do. Is that okay? At least for right now?”

“It is.” this morning, he could have said, with 100% confidence that that was all he wanted right now, but after how she was making him feel after getting so scared this afternoon, he found himself wanting more. But until he could figure it out, he was happy just to show her a good time. 

**

Kakashi wasn’t sure when he fell asleep or when she did, but he knew he woke up at 3 am to Sakura cursing. “Fuck! I have to be at the hospital in four hours,” she jerked up, forgetting Kakashi was laying on her. “Oh- sorry!”

“Sakura?” He sat up, rubbing his eyes, “Sorry about that. I’ll walk you down.” The blanket and wine seemed annoying the carrying downstairs. He thought it best to come back up after she left to clean it up. 

“Okay, I just need to grab my purse from your place.” She looked up at Kakashi, “Sorry, I’m rushing out of her.”

“No worries, Sakura-chan,” he put his hand on her head. “I have a busy couple of days, but can I take you out on Tuesday?” 

“Sure, I don’t think I work until ten on Wednesday.” Kakashi just smiled and kissed her forehead before leading them downstairs. They went to his door, and she grabbed her purse before he walked her to her car. 

She got in her car, but before she left, Kakashi leaned down and gave her a soft kiss, “drive safe, let me know when you get home.” 

“Of course. I’ll see you Tuesday.” She drove off and not until she got home did she realize she was still wearing his hoodie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My favorite Kakasaku trope is Kakashi being an oral god lol. I know I asked y'all a question above but I have another one. Should I change this from M to E? I'm not sure where the line is but coming up is an even more detailed sex scene so idk


	11. Realizations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started the term today so expect some slower updates! I'm still hoping to get two a week, at least until midterms! (But we'll see lol)

He missed her so much. It was a feeling he wasn’t used to. Sure he missed his Dad, Rin, and Obito, sometimes even Hanare, but that was different because he knew he wouldn’t see them again. But he just had to wait four days to see Sakura. It was pretty pathetic. “Kakashi?” Kurenai snapped her fingers in front of him.

It surprised him, and he jumped, almost out of his seat. “Sorry,” he realized the whole table was staring at him. He was at Kurenai and Asuma’s place with Genma for dinner. In the morning, everyone but Kurenai was going to Suna for a gym opening that Kakashi had agreed to months ago. They had to leave early, and the couple had two spare bedrooms, so it seemed more manageable. He usually didn’t go to things like this, but it was a woman-owned gym, and Rin would have killed him if he didn’t go. 

“You okay?” She reached over the table to check his forehead. Much like Asuma had the other day, but she wasn’t an asshole about it. She was always a pretty maternal person but even more so since she became an actual mother. 

“He’s fine,” Genma said between bites. “He’s just thinking about his little girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?” She crossed her arms, “When were you going to tell me you had a girlfriend?”

“When I had one. We’ve gone on two dates,” He insisted to the woman who still looked unimpressed.

“Do you have plans to see her again?” She asked. He nodded yes and saw the wide grin forming on her face, “I’m so proud of you! This girl must be amazing. Tell me about her.”

Kakashi looked around the table. Genma and Asuma both knew quite a bit about her, but they seemed as eager as Kurenai did to see what he had to say. Quickly he thought of all the ways he could get out of this conversation, but he didn’t do a single one. He realized he kind of wanted to brag about her to his friends. “Fine. She’s a surgeon, she took out my appendix, and she’s cute, and her favorite color is red,” even he was disappointed in himself by the description. He had so much more he wanted to say but couldn’t come up with the right words. 

“Okay,” Kurenai sipped her wine, realizing her friend was struggling, “Tell me about your first date.”

“Well,” his voice got softer, “I was going to take her out to eat, but she got stuck in surgery, so I ordered take out and ate it with her. I crashed there with her, and the next morning we went out for breakfast.”

“Okay, and your second?” Kurenai’s interest was piqued. The most she had ever gotten out of Kakashi about a date was a grunt. 

“It was the next night, so last night. I made her dinner, and we went on my rooftop and hung out for a couple of hours before she went home.” He did very purposefully leave out that he made her cum on the kitchen counter, didn’t seem dinner appropriate. 

Asuma and Kurenai looked at each other. Kakashi was convinced they had some kind of psychic connection because they always seemed to agree on things with just a smug look to the other. “Well, what’s your third date going to be?” She asked, a little too excited. Genma started cracking up in the back. 

“Why?” He narrowed his eyes.

“Because you’re going on a double date with Asuma and I.” Kakashi had seen that look in her eyes before. She had a death glare that could actually kill. It was almost as intense as the one she gave him when he showed up at their wedding late. He had to try and protest, but Kurenai beat him, “Non-negotiable. As Mirai’s godfather, we have to make sure whoever you’re seeing is up to our standards. Do I make myself clear?” 

Kakashi looked at Asuma, trying to get some help, but Asuma just shrugged. He groaned cocking his head back, “That’s rough, buddy,” Genma snickered. 

“And Genma will babysit. Isn’t that right?” Kurenai added with a sly smile. 

“What?” He stopped his laughing, joining Kakashi in his groans about their Tuesday night plans. 

**

The drive to Suna sucked. It was five hours, and Genma was a horrible driver, and Asuma had to sit in the back and get some work done for his actual and better paying job. That left Kakashi to drive. Last night he had texted Sakura a little bit when he got off her shift. He decided not to tell her about the double date yet to see if he could get out of it. It wasn’t that he was embarrassed or ashamed of Sakura, the opposite, in fact, he just hated social situations with anyone but her. He barely made it through dinner last night. But part of him was hoping Asuma could have driven so he could text Sakura to get through the trip. She wasn’t starting until noon today. But here they were, Genma blasting trap in the car while Asuma wore noise-canceling headphones. Perfect. Finally, they pulled into Suna. They left at seven, and it was a little past noon. She was already at work. 

They checked into the hotel room. Kakashi and Asuma each got a bed while Genma opted for the couch, declaring that he would likely find some lovely lady whose bed he could crash in. They walked in, and Kakashi immediately hit the bed. He hadn’t slept well after falling asleep two nights in a row with Sakura with him and adding the driving, and he was beaten. He woke up a few hours later. He was alone in the room. He checked his phone and saw a text from Asuma.

You looked beat, so Genma and I went to meet up with the gym owners without you. I’m going to get dinner with an old friend hereafter, and apparently, Genma found a tinder date. Don’t wait up!

He was glad they didn’t wake him up just to go to a meeting. But that also meant Asuma and Genma made his schedule tomorrow without his input. Hopefully, it wasn’t too packed. On the bright side, he had the room to himself so he could get some reading done. He took out his favorite Icha Icha book and flipped to the bookmarked page. In the story, the hero was trying to woo the girl away from her shitty boyfriend. He found this one compelling just because of how long they pined for each other before finally having sex. It was unlike the author to make his readers wait so long, but it only made Kakashi want to read it more. These books, while still his favorite, hadn’t made him aroused in years. He figured he had desensitized himself from it. But this time was different. Usually, the character was faceless, but this time Sakura occupied his thoughts. He could feel a bulge in his pants. It was only 4:30. Genma and Asuma probably wouldn’t be back for a while. It wasn’t like he was doing anything right now. He unzipped his pants and started stroking his cock, weakly focusing on the words on the page. “Sakura,” escaped his lips.

But before he could finish, his phone rang. It better be good whoever was calling him. But it was because it was her he answered, not yet zipping up his pants, “Hey, am I interrupting anything?”

She kind of was, but he wasn’t mad about it, “Nope. What’s up?” 

“Oh, I just assisted on a kind of intense surgery, I actually came in hours early because Tsunade thought I’d be interested. But we're done now, and she wanted me to take a break, but I’m still kind of on a high. Not an actual high but,” she paused, “Sorry I’m rambling.”

“No, I get it. I’m like that after a fight sometimes, especially if it was close. Everything went okay. It sounds like?” The more he hung out with her, the more he realized MMA fighters and surgeons had a lot in common. 

“Yeah!” He smiled at how excited she sounded, “I love heart surgery. It’s amazing.”

It was funny to him how she liked heart surgery and seemed to be obsessed with the color red. It was very fitting. “Good, I’m glad you like it. So hey Tuesday night, I got roped into something, and you don’t have to come if you don’t want to, and I understand, but Asuma’s wife found out about you.”

“And?” She wasn’t sure where this was going. 

“And well, she wants us to go to some restaurant with her and Asuma because she wants to meet you,” he sighed, “You don’t have to go, seriously, I think it’s super weird they want to meet you after like two dates. She just has this thing about overstepping in my life just because I’m her daughter’s godfather.” Now he was rambling. 

“Yeah, sounds fun. I like Asuma. I’m sure his wife is cool too. I didn’t know you were a godfather, that’s adorable!” She could tell Kakashi was nervous about the whole situation. And knowing him, he was probably pressured into agreeing, although she also thought it was a bit odd after just two dates. 

“Adorable?” Not a word that was used to describe him very much.

“Yeah, adorable,” she pointed, “Is there a reason they want to meet me so bad, though?”

Usually, he hated cutesy words to describe him, it made him feel like a child, but anything sounded good when she said it. “Well, Kurenai is just surprised I went on a second date with you. She thinks it means you must be special.” His heart started beating faster. He figured he just totally freaked her out. It took all the willpower he had not just to hang up. There was only silence on the other line, where was Guy when he needed him. 

“Am I?” It was a simple response but not what he expected to hear. 

“I mean…” he wasn’t sure what to say next, “I don’t date. I never have, but I like spending time with you. You make me happy, so yeah- yes, yes, you are.”

It was the softest voice she had ever heard Kakashi talk in. He was a man in every sense of the word, but right now, for a second, she could hear a scared little kid in his voice. “I think you're special too, Kakashi,” she tried to match his tone, “I miss you.”

“I miss you too Sakura,” it was crazy how this girl could give him the most anxiety he’s ever felt but just as quickly take it all away. “So...” he moved his hand behind his head, unsure of where to go from there. 

“So, how’s your day been?” The moment had been sweet, but the emotional weight on Kakashi’s end was somewhat lost on Sakura. 

“Good. Boring. I drove five hours this morning, took a nap. I should probably go find some food soon,” He was getting pretty hungry. He hadn’t eaten since they left this morning. 

“Go eat! We both know it can be awful if you don’t,” she chuckled, referring to their first date. 

“I will but let me talk to you until the end of your break. I spent five hours in the car with Genma, and all he played was shitty trap music. I need a stimulating conversation, or my brain is going to turn to mush,” he fought the urge to tell her he missed her again. 

“Fine. Well, tell me about Asuma’s wife. I don’t even know her name.”

“Oh, Kurenai. She’s a philosophy professor, and her family is crazy rich, like insanely. She’ll pick up the bill on Tuesday and get whatever you want. Seriously. They can afford it,” they had a nice house, probably affordable on their respective jobs income range between a tenured professor and lawyer. But once Asuma invited him and Genma to go with them to her beach house. It was a mansion. 

“Uh, okay, is it family money? How does she have it?” She knew professors made a decent enough, but not that much. It seemed like Asuma would earn more as a lawyer. 

“Yeah. But they won’t tell us how they made it all. I think they just own a lot of stuff, companies or whatever, so it’s hard to explain. Genma thinks her family is part of the cartel. Take your pick.”

“Cartel is way more interesting,” Sakura made her way from the break room outside of the hospital for some fresh air. “What’s she like, though?”

“Mhmm,” he took a minute to think, “Well she’s a mother now, but as long as I’ve known her she’s always been kind of a mom. She’s smart, obviously, and fierce,” he shuttered on the few times he had been on the receiving end, “Like she will rip your head off if she thinks you deserve it.”

“You’re not selling me on dinner, Kakashi,” Sakura was pretty deadpanned. 

“Sorry, you’ll do fine. She already likes you, and it takes a lot to get on her bad side. Also, I’ve been on it a few times, and she still likes me enough to make me her daughter’s godfather. She’s nice, I swear, you’ll like her, I think. Just so you know, she can and will drink all of us under the table. Don’t try to keep up with her,” back when he was a bigger drinker. He tried once. He figured he was bigger and a guy so he would be able to hold it better. It’s still to this day the drunkest he had ever been, and Kurenai was fine. She kept drinking once he tapped out. 

“Jesus. Even Asuma?” Kakashi was a pretty big guy, at least compared to her, but Asuma was big and burly; logic would dictate he would be the best drinker. 

“Even Asuma,” he shook his head, “I think I’m making Kurenai sound crazy. She’s not; she’s cool. Don’t worry about it.”

“If you say- Oh shit,” Sakura’s ton turned harsh. “Hey, I have to go. I'll call you later.”

She hung up before he had a chance to respond. The tone of her voice was alarming, but he had to remember, she was at a hospital, emergencies happen. Should he call the nurses station? No, she would probably be mad if he called them when it wasn’t an emergency. He would just have to wait for her to get back to him. Looking out the window, he could see a burger place and figured it was as good a place as any to get an early dinner. 

Once he was done, he came back to the room and did a short workout. He didn’t really feel like it after such a long drive, but he was bored. “Hey, I’m back,” Asuma opened the door. It was only 7 pm. He figured Asuma would be out longer. 

“Hey, how was your friend?” Kakashi sat back down on the bed.

He shrugged, “Fine, I guess. He had to call it short though, how’s Sakura?”

“Uh, fine, I think. How did you know?” Kakashi was pretty sure they were gone when they talked. Did Asuma bug the room or something?

Asuma laughed, “Oh come on, Kakashi, there was a time when Kurenai and I were just starting. There’s a weird obsession at the beginning where you just want to talk to them all the time, and they occupy all your thoughts.” He looked at Kakashi, who nodded in agreement, “We left you alone for a while; I’d be more surprised if you didn’t talk to her.”

Speak of the devil, Kakashi’s phone buzzed, and it was a text. 

Sorry, I was sitting outside the hospital for some air, and some guy walked up with like three bullet wounds, and things got crazy. I’ll be busy all night, but I hope you’re having fun on your trip! 

He smiled, “Yeah, it’s weird. I haven’t been this into a girl since I was nineteen. She’s excited to meet Kurenai, or at least I think she is, she might also be a little afraid.”

“Kurenai is one of the most caring and loving people I’ve ever met. But she can be a little intimidating, but I’m sure Sakura will be fine. I should tell you she wants to go to that crazy nice place we went to on her birthday.” Kakashi did remember that place. Asuma made him wear a suit, and at first, Kakashi felt like he was going to be overdressed. But he was very wrong. 

“Seriously?” He groaned, “Why can’t we go get ramen or something.”

“Because it’s Kurenai. So you might want to give Sakura a heads up about that.” Asuma sat down on his bed. “Tomorrow at ten we’ll go to the gym, you can just train and shadow box with the owner, and then we’ll head out. I told her you’re not officially cleared so yet to keep it light, and hopefully, we can head home at around 1. Also, I don’t have any work I need to do so I can drive.”

Kakashi thanked him and went for a walk outside. Staring at the sky, he wondered if Sakura missed him as much as he missed her. It hurt not being near her. He felt pathetic. Genma teased him that he had fallen so hard and fast for Hanare. The same thing happened with Rin, at least in the beginning. He chalked it up to being basically a child during both relationships, but even now, at 27, after only two fucking dates, he came to the realization he was in love with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi we all knew you were in love with her forever ago. But I'll be honest, besides that part I didn't like this chapter, it was just one big transition but things are about to get a little more interesting :o


	12. Birds and the Bees

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this chapter wasn't supposed to happen but it did. No regrets. We were going to move forward with the actual plot but I'm taking a really intense class right with a shit ton of dense reading about policy and well I need a break lol. Also, I will still be updating this story 1-2 a week but I had a burst of ideas for another story and wrote like eight chapters in a night for it so I'm also going to be uploading that! It's called Thicker than Blood. Might not be as steamy as this story but I have an idea for a very fun times story in the works if you know what I mean ;)  
> Very explicit this chapter, like almost the whole thing so there's the warning o.o

Suna had been fine, nothing to write home about. And Kakashi made himself fall asleep for the ride home, so it passed fairly quickly. Last night he realized he was in love with Sakura. It felt ridiculous after only two dates, but they did have that one night at her place after the bar, whatever that was. They had also spent five weeks in between her house and their first date talking and getting to know each other, so was it that weird? He couldn’t tell her, though. She was a much more leveled head and experienced with love than he was. There was no way she would say it back this early. They returned to Asuma’s house, Kakashi and Genma went to his car and drove home. Kakashi went straight to his bed. He looked at his phone. Would it be overbearing to call her? Should he do it? Before he had to make a decision, she called. He wished he could do that, just call her when he wanted to talk to her, but it was always her to reach out. 

Sakura had gotten home from the hospital, unbeknownst to her, at a similar time that Kakashi got home. It was a shift. Nothing terrible happened, it was pretty dull, but she was still exhausted. Luckily she wouldn’t have to go in until noon on Wednesday. She was sure Tsunade had scheduled her to come in at noon instead of her regular 10 am this week so she could come with Kakashi to his final check-up. Tsunade would never admit it, but she was a sucker for romance. She changed into pajamas but was surprisingly cold for it being a summer night. On the chair in the corner was his hoodie she had walked out with a few nights before. It still smelled like him when she slipped it on. She wished he was here right now. From the few texts she got today, he should be home by now. What harm could come from calling him? The phone rang a few times, “Hey, Sakura-chan.”

“Hey,” she didn’t know what to say next. The hoodie made her think of him, but she had nothing really to say, “how are you?” 

“Good. And you?” 

“Good, just bored,” she gripped onto the sleeves as she said it. 

“Ah, well, what are you going to do about it?”

“Come over and fuck me,” Sakura quickly moved her hand over her mouth. Okay, not the classiest way to get a guy to come over, but it’s not like she didn’t want it. 

The request made Kakashi shoot up in his bed, “Are you booty calling me Sakura?” He could feel a small smile slip out. In the background, he could hear Obito say, “Don’t question it, just go.”

“Uh, maybe. I mean, I don’t want you to think I’m just hanging out with you for sex or anything because I do like you but,” she should have just said, ‘I want to see you, can you come over?’ Again, sex sounded great, but it was just such an impersonal way to ask. 

It made him feel better to hear her ramble. He was starting to get self-conscious when he did it. “I like you too,” no, he loved her, but like would have to do for now. “I just got home, so let me shower, but then I’ll come over. Be there in 30?” 

“Sounds good,” she liked hearing the words ‘I like you’ from him. They hung up, and she looked at herself in the mirror, she wasn’t wearing any makeup, but her skin was pretty clear at the moment, so she thought it would be okay. She looked down her hoodie to the tank top and shorts she was wearing underneath. Quickly she took off the hoodie and the clothes underneath then slipped the hoodie back on. Being sexy without Ino’s help was kind of difficult, but she felt like this was pretty good. The hoodie was so long he wouldn’t be able to tell if she was wearing anything underneath it, not right away at least. It was hard for her to figure out what to do while she waited, but she settled on the couch with a book. It was a romance novel, a cheesy one, but it seemed appropriate, a patient had left it months ago, and she thought it would be a funny read, but now she was skimming for tips. Unfortunately, it was heavy on romance, not so much sex. 

Finally, there was a knock on the door. She set the book down and raced to the door, stopping for a second to not seem so eager. The door opened to Kakashi, “Hey,” he leaned down and kissed her, “I like the hoodie.”

“Thank you,” she swayed a little bit, “It’s been keeping me warm.”

Kakashi walked in and sat on the couch, noticing the book. The cover was two people holding each other with a castle in the background, “What’s this?” He picked it up. 

“Stop,” she ran to the couch, “It’s super embarrassing,” she tried to grab it from him, but he just held the book up high and read it looking up. 

“Sakura-chan, I didn’t know you liked romance novels; you’re just full of surprises,” he skimmed a few more pages ignoring her protests. 

“I don’t! A patient left it in their room and never came back for it. I started it on my break, and it’s,” she hesitated, “Interesting.”

“Interesting,” he raised an eyebrow before handing her the book back, “Any scenes in particular?” He and Sakura might have more in common than he thought. However, he managed to skim five pages and didn’t see a single mention of sex, which was lame compared to the Icha Icha series. 

Sakura grabbed the book and pouted, “No, it’s not that kind of book.”

“Do you want it to be?” He took her hand and started stroking it with his thumb. “We could find something a little more interesting and read it together.”

While no stranger to sex, Sakura was fairly vanilla. Honestly, Ino gave her more sexual experience telling her about her partners and submissive clients. Sex with Sasuke was fine, but they lost their virginity to each other, and it didn’t evolve past a few basic positions. It wasn’t completely his fault; Sakura hadn’t tried to bring anything new to their sex life either. But she had been afraid he might take suggestions the wrong way or think she was weird. “Maybe,” now a man was leering over her, asking her to read porn with him, “would you like that?”

The squeak in her voice was cute. They were the same age, but Kakashi had picked up on the fact that he was probably a little more experienced than her when it came to sex. “I would,” he kissed her behind her ear, “I would like a lot of things from you, Sakura.” She felt him sweep her off her feet and pull her onto the couch with him. His back on the sofa, she was right the first night that he was too big to lay on it, so his legs stuck out, and she was lying on top of him, her stomach pressed against his. The movement had caused the hoodie to fly up, though, and her butt was now showing. Kakashi peered to the side and grinned, “Are you naked under my hoodie Sakura-chan?” 

“Yeah,” she kissed him softly, “Do you like that too?” He whispered that he did, and she could feel his hands move down to her ass, each hand holding half. “What else do you like?” She asked, trying not to sound nervous.

“Well,” he used a finger to pull the collar of the hood down just a little bit to confirm she was indeed naked, “I like it when you gag on my cock. I like when whoever I’m fucking is tied up and blindfolded,” he moved the finger to her cheek, “I also like it when they call me daddy.” That was half true, he liked it when girls called him that, but he liked calling guys fucking him daddy. But he thought that piece of information would ruin the mood he was going for. “What do you think about that?”

The daddy comment caught her off guard. From what she understood, it wasn’t that uncommon of a kink, but she never thought she would say it to someone. “The daddy thing might take some time to get used to, so would the tying up thing, but I’m not against either. Maybe we could start with the blindfold, though.”

“Perfect,” he wasn’t sure if she’d be into any of it and appreciated her willingness to try and that she was doing it at her own pace. “Now, what do you like?”

“Oh,” she had no idea how to answer that, “I don’t know.”

“Well, you liked oral, right?” She nodded, “Have you ever watched a sex scene in a movie or porn, or read a book where you liked what they were doing?” Kakashi offered. 

She was silent for a second, trying to think. “Would you mind spanking me when we have sex? I think I might like that.”

“Absolutely,” he lifted one of his hands and gave her exposed ass a light slap, “Like that?”

“Harder?” Kakashi didn’t expect that. He was just teasing, but he did as he was told and slapped a little harder. “Harder,” she asked a little less timidly than before. Again Kakashi did as he was told. This time he aimed to hurt, just a little; maybe she just needed a little pain with the slap. He was right but was shocked to hear her whimper out, “harder.” 

“Sakura,” he moved his hands up and grabbed his face, “You might be a little bit of a masochist, my dear.” 

“Is that okay?” she had been so confident a moment ago, asking him to slap her harder, but now she was afraid she was about to face rejection. 

“It’s perfect,” he kissed her, “just like you.” 

They made out a little longer on the couch. His hands glided up her sides; every once and a while, she could feel his nails press into her skin. She liked it; maybe he was right about her being a bit of a masochist. “Can we move to the bedroom? I have a bandana you can blindfold me with,” she finally pulled away. 

Sakura stepped off him so he could get up, “Yeah, let’s go but,” he bent down and picked her up bridal style, “no blindfold tonight. I want to experiment and figure out what you like.”

He started walking them to the bedroom, “But,” she wrapped her arms around his neck, “I want to be blindfolded.”

“Your wish is my command, princess,” he tossed her on the bed and grabbed the bandana she was talking about that was on her dresser. Sakura stood on her knees, the back of her head facing Kakashi. “Take the hoodie off,” he commanded, his voice getting sterner. Sakura immediately threw it off. She noted liking being told what to do, in this setting, at least. “Good girl,” he started to tie the bandana. 

“Princess,” she corrected, “I like that better.”

“Alright, princess,” he finished tying and lowered himself down to her ear, “bend over for me?” It made him happy to have her correct him, he was worried she’d be too nervous to tell him what she wanted, but luckily he was very wrong. He took off his clothes and slapped her ass harder than he had on the couch. Sakura jerked forward. He could see the red handprint he left behind. “Was that hard enough, princess?” he asked, feeling pretty confident in himself, but he heard her let out a whispered no. “Harder?” The gruff facade had faded just a bit with his question. It was an exciting development. 

“Yes, please, daddy,” she moved back into place, waiting for him. 

There were a lot of emotions running through him right now. He enjoyed spanking her, and the fact he just wanted it harder and harder was insanely hot, then adding the daddy, plus she was blindfolded, he was sure he had had a dream like this once. But a part of him was a little concerned about actually hurting her, even if it did seem she had a similarly high pain tolerance to him. However, he felt before he could responsibly slap her harder, he would have to have a conversation first. “Sorry, princess,” he opted instead to slip his fingers inside her, “But it’s been too long since I’ve been inside of you, and I don’t want to wait anymore.”

Little moans were coming from her just from the fingers, “please put your cock in me, daddy.” It was funny how she was so unsure of using that name, but it just felt so right. 

If he wasn’t hard before, he certainly was now. He pulled his fingers off, grabbed her hips, and slid his cock in. It was different than last time when he was hovering over her. This time he could ram himself up as far as possible; every time it went all the way in, he could feel her grip onto him. “How is it, princess?”

“So good,” she moaned. Kakashi smirked and grabbed her hair, pulling some of it out of the bandana. His fingers threaded through the strands, holding them at the roots. He figured if she liked a little spanking, she might like this too. “Pull it,” he was going to ask first, but Sakura had beat him to the punch. So he did, her head and upper chest forced up. 

“Shit,” he muttered under his breath. “You're going to make me cum princess,” he hated that he couldn’t last long right now. He was having too much fun with her. 

“Kakashi,” her voice went a little more uncertain, which caused him to slow down, “can I try something?”

“Yeah,” his eyes went wide, and the shift, he had forgotten for a second the game they were playing. Sakura turned around, taking him out and sitting at the edge of the bed, fitting as much as she could of his member in her mouth. “Holy shit Sakura,” she started to move her mouth up and down, “Princess, I appreciate it, but I’m going to cum any second now-” he looked down, realizing the smirk she was giving him in her eyes, “Oh?” She nodded before continuing the back and forth. Kakashi put his hand on the back of her head and cocked his head back. As he promised, it wasn’t long before he came inside her mouth. He was surprised, though, to see her just swallow it. He almost laughed at the sour little face she gave him after, “Sorry, it’s probably not very pleasant tasting.”

“It’s not that,” she shook her head, “It’s just different. I don’t mind it, though.”

“Here I’ll grab you some water,” Kakashi went to the kitchen and filled up two cups and brought them back over. When he came back, Sakura had already put the hoodie back on, “Here you go. Sorry, you didn’t finish.”

Sakura took a sip then shook her head, “You made me feel so well last time, it was only fair! Besides,” she looked down from him at her water, “I liked the spanking and hair pulling, but it was a lot, and I don’t think I was going to finish because of it.”

“Shit, I’m sorry, Sakura,” he put his water down and put an arm around her, “We don’t have to do it again.”

“I didn’t say that!” She looked offended by Kakashi’s comment, “It was just intense, you know? But next time, I’ll be used to it! Promise we can do it again?” 

“Sakura Haruno,” he kissed her forehead, “You are just full of surprises.” They laid in bed a little longer, Kakashi’s arms wrapped around her. She was right, the sex had been a little intense, and they both needed a little aftercare. Finally, they realized they were both hungry but too tired to cook anything and opted to order a pizza. After dinner, Kakashi reluctantly left. He had been handing off dog duties to Genma a little too much lately. Besides, he wanted to get a work out in early the next morning. “I forgot to tell you. Kurenai picked out a crazy nice restaurant with a dress code, and Asuma wanted me to give you a heads up,” Kakashi hated asking her about it, “If you don’t have anything, I’ll take you shopping tomorrow.” It was the least he could do- he didn’t want her to spend any money just to meet his friends. 

“Semi-formal cocktail dress, okay?” She asked, not skipping a beat. Kakashi nodded, looking confused, “My ex-fiance was the last living member of the Uchiha group. I’ve been going to upscale events since I was eighteen. Will you pick me up tomorrow and help me pick out which one to wear?” 

Surprises everywhere with this one, “Sure,” he smiled. He gave her a kiss goodnight and headed home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay next few chapters are very plot-heavy and are going to set up one of the two most important plot points I have planned so there's not much smut so let this tide you over until then lol


	13. New Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to upload this week has been insane! But in a good way so no worries. Here ya guys go. Literally, this is the last time I write a long fic without planning it out first. Not going to lie I'm forcing myself to finish this fic because I don't like leaving it unfinished but it's been a frustrating one to write. I'm just ranting- it has been a fun ride! Especially reading your guy's comments.
> 
> Mentions of physical assault
> 
> IMPORTANT NOTE: THE NEXT CHAPTER IS CHAPTER 20: ROUGH NIGHT. I MESSED UP AND SKIPPED A CHAPTER ON ACCIDENT BUT AFTER CHAPTER 20 GO TO CHAPTER 14 IM VERY SORRY!

Rin and Obito were going to be sick of him. Kakashi had stopped by the grave with flowers this time. He was about to head to Sakura’s since he was already wearing a suit, he thought it would be nice to pay proper respects instead of just bitching about his problems. Carefully, as to not dirty his suit, he bent down and cleaned up both graves. The flowers were for Rin, but he put a couple on Obito’s grave too. “I had a panic attack about you two, my dad,” he sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets, “almost canceled a date with Sakura over it.” He could feel a tear roll down his cheek, “I haven’t felt this way since Hanare left, and I want it to go away.”

“It never really does,” he felt a hand on his shoulder. Behind him was an old woman; she looked nice enough although he wasn’t sure who she was, so why she was here, “My you’ve grown into a fine young man.”

Quickly he wiped the tears away, “I’m sorry but do I know you?”

“I suppose you don’t, but I know you too. My Rin told me all about you and Obito whenever she came to see me, she loved you both, so very much,” the woman smiled. 

Rin had talked about her grandmother a lot, but she lived hours away, so he never had a chance to meet her. “Mrs. Nohara,” Kakashi put his hands to his side and bowed politely, “It’s an honor to meet you. I-” he tried to force the words out, “I loved her very much as well. Her and Obito.”

“Please, Kakashi, I feel as though I know you already. Call me Ai,” she held out her hand, “Come and sit with me a moment. My bones are old; it’s hard to stand too long.” There was a bench opposite to the grave. He followed the woman sitting beside her. “After Rin died, her parents moved in with me. They couldn’t stand to live in the city anymore. It’s hours away in the country, but getting them to come here is pulling teeth,” she chuckled, “I’ve only gotten them out here once, to clean the grave but funny- it was spotless with fresh flowers on it. Much like it is today.”

“I try,” he had gotten purple ones, like always. Purple was Rin’s favorite color, it was silly, but he liked to think they were from Obito too. He was the hopeless romantic of the group.

“You do a good job taking care of these graves. I wonder, though, do you take as good of care of yourself? She heard about the panic attack and worried for the young man her granddaughter had cared for so much.

Kakashi was quiet. “No,” he finally muttered, “not really.”

The old woman sighed, “my my, times change, but young men not taking care of their souls never will, it seems. I don’t know who Sakura is, but if she’s precious to you, I think she deserves the best version of you, don’t you agree?” Again Kakashi was silent, “But what do I know? I’m only ninety years old.”

That managed to get a chuckle out of Kakashi, “Fair enough.”

“My son told me that you apologized to him at her funeral. As I understand it, they were driving you home because your car had broken down,” she paused to give him a reassuring smile, “It’s not your fault, it never was. And I’m sure Sakura is glad you were able to walk away from that accident.”

“It didn’t break down. Some asshole slashed the tires. And I know I can’t control a drunk driver, but,” he could have walked or called a cab. Hell, he could have just slept in his car. But Obito insisted. 

“But things happen,” she finished for him, “Would you, by chance, be going to meet this Sakura now?” she looked at his suit. 

“Uh yeah,” he looked at his phone, “I actually should get going.”

“I plan on coming down November 15th, her birthday. Will I see you then?” Kakashi nodded. He usually avoided going on their birthdays because it seemed to hurt more, but maybe it would be better with someone else there. “Take a flower for Sakura. I’m sure Rin would insist on it,” she gestured to the grave. 

“Good idea,” she was right. Rin probably would. Actually, Rin might lecture him on why he should get her a whole bouquet of red roses or something like that. But he was officially running late, so a single purple one would have to do. “Thank you, Rin,” he whispered before leaving. 

***

Kakashi knocked on the door, the purple flower in his hand. He was starting to regret bringing it to her. Was it weird to just give her one? Was it too soon to give her flowers? He was in love with her. But he knew it was too soon but probably not too soon for a flower. He didn’t have time to decide before she opened the door. “Hey, I’m glad you’re here,” her hair and makeup looked nice, but she was wearing what seemed to be her pajamas, “Is that flower for me?” She looked down at his hand. 

“Yeah,” he gave it to her, trying to sound indifferent, “long story about how I got it, but I thought you’d like it, since it’s pretty, and so are you.” He wanted to smash his head against a wall. That was the stupidest thing he had ever said in his life. 

Sakura filled a glass of water up and placed the flower in it, “You’re a real softie, you know that?” 

He sighed, “Only in front of you, so you wanted me to help you pick out a dress?” 

“Yeah!” She grabbed his hand, pulling him to her room. There was a big box on her bed with clothing folded up in it. Sakura pulled out a few carefully folded articles, “Okay,” she folded three dresses, “Which one?” One was red, a color that did look good on her, but it was short and strapless. Very sexy, and he would like to see her in it eventually but not super appropriate for this dinner. The next was dark green, it matched her eyes, but it had a high neckline and looked like it would hit her knees. It would probably be fine, but the last one was perfect. It was black and long-sleeved, the neckline plunged low, still classy, but he liked that it'd give him more to look at.

“Black one.” She put it on, and it hit in all the ways he thought it would, “Holy shit,” he picked it because he thought it would look good on her but not this good. “You look so sexy,” he had been watching from a distance, but as she slipped the shorts off, he would himself moving at almost lightning speed, “please tell me you’re planning on not wearing anything underneath.” He grabbed her waist, pressing their bodies together. 

“I was, but if you make it quick, we probably have time for a quickie,” she teased, dropping herself on the edge of the bed. 

Kakashi took his jacket off, throwing it ceremoniously on the floor, “Oh, I intend to take my time with you,” he said between kisses, now on top of her. “Don’t worry, they’re already expecting me to be late,” he pushed her dress up before unbuttoning his pants. While he was already hard, he wanted to make sure she was ready to take all of him in, so he bent down and teasing the tip of her clit with his tongue. He always liked oral, but even more, he liked to spoil Sakura with it. It was such a new sensation that her squirms and noises were both just a little funny and extremely hot. He loved it when she came on his face, but he needed to be inside her. It was almost primal at this point. “Sakura-chan,” his voice was rough, “why is it you’re always so wet when you’re around me? I feel like I never get to play with you.” 

That right, there was why. His voice, what she knew he was about to do to her and how good she knew it was going to feel. “It’s you, Kakashi,” she grabbed the collar of his shirt as she felt him slide inside of her. “Every time I think about you fucking me,” her voice trailed off. 

“What a naughty little princess you are, Sakura-chan,” his voice was a little more playful.

As much as she wanted Kakashi just to have his way with her on her dining table, a glance at her kitchen clock was all she didn’t to justify killing the mood. “No, no,” she separated herself from him, “We’re already going to be late, and I hate keeping people waiting.”

Apart of him wanted to protest but trying to convince a girl to have sex after she said no was pretty against his creed as a decent human being, no matter how much he wanted to. He zipped up his pants and sighed, “Alright. But it’s just going to make me want you more after dinner,” he teased. 

“Good,” she smiled back, pretending that was her plan all along, “Let’s go then.”

***

“Wow, this is nice,” Sakura whispered to Kakashi, whose arm she was holding on to. 

“Yeah. I swear Kurenai is down to earth. This is just also what she considers casual,” they had handed his car to the valet and walked up to the entrance. It was in a hotel, a nice one that Sakura had passed several times but never took much note of it. Since her break up, no one she knew could afford it, except Asuma, apparently. They got in the elevator with a few other people who were dressed much nicer than her. She had felt out of place at events with Sasuke before, but she managed to fake her way through it. But now she was out of practice, and while she thought her age and where she was at with her career would make her feel more confident, she was wrong. Kakashi felt her grip tighten with the extra people. Her energy was familiar, the same way he felt pretty much everywhere except the ring like he didn’t belong, “You look beautiful,” he whispered before kissing the top of her head. 

Sakura felt able to breathe again. It was nice that Kakashi was able to tell she needed something, even when she couldn’t. The elevator stopped on a floor where the walls were made entirely of glass, the entire city sparkling below it, “This is amazing,” she took a moment just to take in the surrounding. 

“Yeah, I’m not a huge fan of dressing up for some overpriced food, but I’ll concede, it has a nice view,” he waited for Sakura to finish looking around, he was rarely in a hurry, and the expression on her face was too cute to disrupt. 

Sakura realized her just standing and staring in the middle of such a nice restaurant was a bit odd. Correcting herself, she looked over to Kakashi, who was standing with her with a grin on his face, “We should probably meet up with Kurenai and Asuma now, right?”

Kakashi looked at his watch, “We’re already thirty minutes late, and they're probably expecting me to be an hour late, so take your time.” 

“Come on,” she rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, “I know you’re late all the time, but I like to be somewhat punctual.” She actually used to be a stickler for promptness but working in a hospital had chilled her out slightly, but only slightly. 

“Yes, Sakura-chan,” his voice was quiet as she was already asking the host where Kurenai’s table was. He had never felt so hopelessly whipped in his life, and he loved every second of it. 

The host led them to the table where Kurenai and Asuma laughed while holding drinks, “Kakashi!” Kurenai stood up and hugged Kakashi, whose spine was stiff as a board. Kurenai seemed unfazed, though. Sakura figured he was probably like this every time she hugged him. “You must be Sakura,” she hugged her too. It was funny that Kakashi seemed to surround himself with such touchy people, but then again, so did she. Ino sometimes was a little too touchy. “God, you’re beautiful,” she pulled away, “I see why Kakashi has been so infatuated with you.”

“Kurenai,” Kakashi growled. 

Asuma grabbed Kakashi’s hand and pulled him closer to the chair in front of him, “Come on, buddy, take a seat.” He knew Kakashi was annoyed at the comment, but it was true in Kurenai’s defense. 

Before Kakashi took his seat, he pulled out Sakura’s chair. The gesture was small and shouldn’t have impressed her that much, but she had been dating a lot of douchebags lately. “So Sakura,” Kurenai asked as she sat down, “Order whatever you like. It’s completely on me, but I would recommend the Ladera Sauvignon Black. It’s my personal favorite at the moment.”

“Oh, thank you, and that sounds great.” Kakashi sat himself down too, relaxing a little in his chair. “So how do you two know Kakashi.”

“Well,” Asuma interjected as Kurnai ordered the wine. “I met Kakashi here through Genma. Genma I met after getting him out of a tight spot in a bar fight,” he started laughing, “he was drunk and thought he could take four guys at once. He did pretty well actually, but the kid would have needed a stretcher if I didn’t step in.” 

“Eh, maybe you should have let his ass get beat, he was a pain in the ass back then, more than he is now,” Kakashi grumbled. 

“Yeah, but we became friends, and when I told him I did Jujitsu, he invited me to Kakashi’s gym.” He looked over to Kurenai and touched her hand, “then this one kicked my ass the first day of martial arts club in college, and that’s kind of how we all got to know each other. My last term of college was when I met Naruto,” Sakura realized they must be a few years older than her and Kakashi, “he joined the club well you know Naruto,” Asuma shrugged, “it’s hard not to befriend that kid.”

“Oh, I know,” the waiter brought Sakura her glass, “Naruto came up to me the first day of kindergarten and proposed to me,” the image was enough to get a slight smile out of Kakashi. “He annoyed me the rest of elementary school, but it’s hard to dislike him.”  
“He is a sweet boy. But Sakura, tell us about yourself, I know you’re a surgeon, do you have a specialty?” Kurenai awaited an answer. 

“Heart surgery, right?” Kakashi bit his lip after he said it. He didn’t like answering for her but did note the bragging tone it came out with. The three others at the table looked at Kakashi, surprised by the comment, “Sorry, I shouldn’t have spoken for you like that,” he sunk into his chair. 

“It’s alright,” she liked that he remembered these details about her, “It’s not official yet, but I’m interested in heart surgery, so I’ve been assisting on them lately. It’s not what I thought I’d specialize in, but it’s fascinating.”

“She’s too good for you, Kakashi,” Kurenai smiled. She loved hearing people talk about their passions.

“I know,” under the table, Kakashi’s hand found hers, their fingers touched, “she is.” The rest of the dinner went well. The four never ran out of topics to talk about, and Sakura even heard some embarrassing stories about Kakashi from his wilder days. Kakashi had spent the entire day dreading this dinner, that he was pushing his relationship with Sakura too hard, but she seemed to fit into her life like a glove. 

Sakura was a few drinks in by the end of dinner that ended a few hours later. Not drunk enough that she wouldn’t remember the next morning or be sick, but enough that she might say something embarrassing on the car ride back. “Be my date to Shika’s wedding next month,” she pressed her head to Kakashi’s shoulder as he drove, “I’m sick of always going to these things alone and getting hit on by losers.”

The proposal had caught Kakashi off guard, he didn’t like weddings or parties, but another excuse to see her all dressed up didn’t sound too bad. “Sure,” with the hand opposite to the arm she was resting on, he tapped her head, “I’d love to be your date. But you owe me because I hate going to weddings.”

“What do I owe you Kaka?” She moved her head up to look at him. 

“Kaka? Dr. Haruno, I believe you are drunk,” he snickered at the nickname. He would have to make sure Genma never heard it, but it was cute coming from her. 

“I’m sobering up, and I like it, I think it suits you,” before Kakashi could protest through Sakura’s phone rang. She looked at the call. It was Hinata, which was odd since she took a few days off to go to a festival out of town, she suspected with Naruto. “Hey,” Sakura answered, but she could feel the alcohol leave her body as Hinata answered, sobbing between words, “Hinata, I can’t hear what you need when you’re crying.” Kakashi immediately pulled over into a grocery store parking lot, intent on the conversation. 

“Sakura,” it was Naruto’s voice, “Some guy attacked Hanabi, and she’s at the police station right now, they won’t let her leave without a doctor clearing her, and she refuses to go to the hospital. Is there any way you could get over there now? I know Hinata would feel better knowing someone was with her. I’m driving us back to Konoha now, but it’ll be a couple of hours,” it was rare to hear Naruto this serious.

“Yeah, I’ve had a few to drink, though, so Kakashi has to drive, but I can still examine her. We’re in the car now, not too far away.” Sakura made Naruto promise to take care of Hinata, Kakashi already headed for the station.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry she's okay!


	14. Above Everything Else

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! So I almost abandoned this story because I haven't liked the last few chapters and I was unsure of the story's direction but I had so much fun writing the three chapters after this one so I'm excited again! So sorry you guys have to deal with this chapter, I was very uninspired writing it, both times I tried. But it's going to get a lot better so bear with me.
> 
> IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE READ CHAPTER 20: ROUGH NIGHT BEFORE READING THIS CHAPTER I MESSED UP AND SKIPPED A CHAPTER AND ALL THIS WILL MAKE MORE SENSE IF YOU READ CHAPTER 20 FIRST IM VERY SORRY

This was pretty common for them, lunch in his car, or going over to her place at weird hours. Kakashi’s schedule was flexible, and hers wasn’t, so he didn’t mind, but he was getting tired of their relationship being centered around the hospital. There was the wedding they were going to in a couple of weeks. But there would be a lot of people there, and he didn’t know all of them, a nightmare. “Can you get Friday night off?” he bit into the sandwich he had bought himself.

Sakura was glad to be free from the cafeteria food. Kakashi wasn’t joking when he said this was one of Konoha's best sandwiches. “Yeah,” she stopped to think about the logistics, “It’s Tuesday now, I should be able to get off schedule that night. Why?”

“Don’t worry about it, princess,” he ruffled her hair. “I’ll pick you up at 8, wear something warm.”

It was intriguing, whatever he had planned. While part of her wanted to fight him for an answer, the idea of not knowing was a lot more fun, “Don’t be late.”

***

It had been two weeks since they had amazing and kinky sex, which was ridiculous since they saw each other so much. It was easy to send sexy texts during her shift, maybe a picture but the second she hit her head on the bed, she was out like a light. The hospital had been running her ragged lately, so she requested both Friday afternoon and evening off, hoping to fit in a nap. She was going to have that man properly fuck her tonight if it was the last thing she did. 

Usually, she was so good at napping, but in this quiet, non-stressful space, all she could do was think about him. She appreciated that there was no pressure on her to define what they had or more quickly on the emotional end. Sasuke had drained her once, and it was hard to determine if she was ready to be that vulnerable again. But if there was one thing Kakashi excelled at, it was letting her be herself. There was a mask she sometimes had to wear with Sasuke, that everything was okay and perfect. He was so consumed by school and taking over the Uchiha group any other distractions were unimportant to him, even if they were important to her. 

Thinking about Sasuke wasn’t helping her get to sleep, but the idea of a nap was shot because Ino was calling. “Hey, what’s up?” She sat up. 

“Uh, I haven’t talked to my best friend in weeks, and I want an update on her super hot boyfriend,” she teased, “hows the sex been?”

Despite being friends with Ino, they were exact opposites in the sex and relationships department. In short, Sakura tended to be a prude while Ino was anything but. When she would ask about Sasuke, Sakura would say the sex was good and change the topic, but now she couldn’t wait to brag. “Not my boyfriend, I wanted to keep things casual a little longer but so good, Ino,” she felt herself melt into the bed. “He’s so caring and thoughtful, the sex is the best I’ve ever had,” this next part she knew Ino was going to love, “he blindfolded me, spanked me, and I called him daddy.”

There was silence for a moment, “Shut up not he did not, and no you didn’t,” there was a laugh hidden in her response. It wasn’t that kinky, not in the grand scheme of things, especially since she used to be a dominatrix, but she was happy Sakura was exploring what she liked during sex. It was something she often neglected. “I’m so proud of you! Please marry this man.”

“I’m not going to marry him, Ino,” she chuckled, maybe she would a long time from now but best not to give her the ammunition, “But I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy. Being with Sasuke was so stressful, I felt like I was walking on eggshells, but it’s so easy being with Kakashi.”

“Shika told me you added a plus one to your invite. Does that mean your not-boyfriend is coming?” She joked about marriage, but secretly Ino was glad Sakura was going slow with him, and it sounded like he was letting her. It would be better for them to have a solid foundation where they were both ready in the long run. 

“Yeah, I think reluctantly, but he said as long as I don’t wear panties under my dress, he’ll enjoy the night,” it was painfully apparent that a man like Kakashi wasn’t a wedding person, but she was looking forward to seeing him in a suit again. “How’s the tour, by the way?”

“Good, I’ll be home in a couple of weeks, right before the wedding. Did you know Shika and Temari are moving to Konoha after the wedding? They both got jobs here.”

“I didn’t, but that’s great, it’ll be nice seeing him more regularly. He was always my favorite free uber,” she laughed. They talked a little longer, while Sakura tried to move the conversation several times to something, not about Kakashi. It always circled back to him. How sweet he was, how hot, how fun. It was bothering Sakura that she couldn’t shut up about him, but Ino was having a good time. There wasn’t one time she could recall where Sakura talked about Sasuke like this. 

***

Well, the nap was unsuccessful. But luckily, she had just gone in a few hours in the morning, and she got some coffee in her so she wouldn’t crash tonight. It was August, not know for its cold nights, so some leggings and a t-shirt should be acceptable. She also threw on his hoodie that hadn’t left her room in weeks. “Nice jacket,” he smirked as she opened the door, “you ready to go?” 

She nodded, “Yeah, but where are we going?”

“Surprise.” They walked to the car, Sakura trying to guess where they were going, the guessing lasted most of the car ride. “I’ll give you a hint,” he offered. They were officially out of the city limits now, “It’s a place from my childhood.”

“Really out there,” she looked out the window to a winding road that went up to the top of a hill. “Also, that’s a bad hint, I’ve only known you a couple of months.”

He shrugged, “I said I’d give you a hint, didn’t say it would be good.” At the top of the hill was a big concrete slab with what looked like a foundation to a building that never got finished. Around the perimeter were iron rods, but the middle was reasonably clear and flat, besides some plant debris. “Okay, we’re here,” he got out and grabbed a blanket, a six-pack, and some Tupperware from his trunk. “Here,” he handed her the container. When she opened it, she found various rice balls. 

“Did you make these?” She inspected them. They were so pretty, like something made in the store. 

“Yeah, they’re just filled with fish and veggies, nothing crazy,” he went to the center and laid out a blanket. “Come on, let’s eat.”

They were delicious. Maybe her mother was onto something when she said the way to a man’s heart is through food. It sure was working on her. “Hey, how do you know about this place?” She asked, pulling up closer to him. 

“My dad was a real old school boxer, pretty good too. But before that, he was a construction worker, this was supposed to be some rich guy's house, but the project got abandoned pretty quickly,” he opened a beer and nuzzled his chin up against her. “My dad used to take me up here whenever I had a bad day. I would stand there,” he pointed at a section of the foundation that jutted out near the edge of the hill, “And just tell the whole city what was pissing me off. It was the only time I was allowed to curse in front of my old man.” Sometimes he still came up here when he was upset after Rin and Obito died after Hanare left, more recently after realizing he was in love with Sakura. 

“I bet you were a cute kid,” it felt a little awkward every time he brought up his dad. She knew both of his parents were dead, but it felt like inappropriate morbid curiosity every time she wanted to ask why. 

“I was,” he smiled, “you're the first person I’ve ever brought up here, you know. This place is the best-kept secret in Konoha.” He decided not to add that his father told him he could only bring someone he truly loved up here, that might make things a little awkward.

“Well, I’m honored,” she got up and walked over to the spot Kakashi had pointed out, “It is a stunning view,” she looked over the city. All the lights and moving cars when you were down below were obnoxious and challenging to be around, but from here, it was like she was looking at the greatest masterpiece ever painted. 

“Not as beautiful as you,” Kakashi followed and grabbed her hips from behind. He kissed her neck and looked out to the city with her. “Hey, I don’t mean to ruin the mood, but I have to ask you a favor.”

She turned around, his hands still on her sides, “What is it?”

“So,” he rolled his head back, “I talked to Kurenai, about getting Hanabi in earlier, and she said she’s not ready.” Sakura frowned. Hanabi had become more timid and shaky since the incident, Hinata said she had nightmares about it. They agreed that self-defense classes might give her some peace of mind. “But,” he added before she could respond, “she suggested I teach her. Well, more told me I had to.” If there was one thing, Kurenai was convincing someone to do something. She always seemed to know what would get a person to bend to her will, her and Asuma were a truly frightening pair. In this case, she pointed out that Hanabi deserves the best teacher available right now, and that wasn’t her at the moment. Asuma has a full schedule, and his fighting style was well suited for easy self-defense. It was either him or Genma, and they agreed Kakashi might have a little more tact in this situation. 

The groan was heavy at the thought of him teaching. It was almost funny. “Okay, so what’s the favor?” 

“It’s really hard to teach a class one on one without getting super-physical with them. There’s no way around it. I think, especially given what happened, Hanabi might be more comfortable with some other people there with her, so I was wondering if you and Hinata wanted to join.” He felt like a pervy old man, he had zero interest in Hanabi, and hopefully, that was coming across, but the last thing he wanted to do was make her feel weird.

“Oh sure, sounds fun, I’ll talk to Hinata,” she reached up and kissed his cheek, “I’m excited to learn from you, sensei,” she emphasized the last word. 

A wave of relief hit him. He wasn’t sure why he had been so nervous about asking her. “Are you trying to get yourself in trouble, Ms. Haruno?” he pulled her closer and gripped her tighter, “I don’t like hearing attitude from my students,” he teased back. 

The moment was fun and playful, like most of their relationship had been. Even on the nights where the conversation got intense, there was still an air of lightness, of ease. Sakura’s wicked grin at the teasing and innuendo transformed in a content smile, “You make me happy,” she finally sighed, “I’ve had so much fun with you, and you’re just great.” She internally winced at how nondescript her words had been, but it was true. She was happy. 

“Why do I feel a but coming on,” he looked at her suspiciously. 

“No, buts,” she was still in his grip, but now she moved her hands on to his arms, holding him much more softly, “I just wanted to say thank you. I know it’s not easy to date a surgical resident, and I feel like it’s frustrating that I don’t want to put a label on anything, so thanks for being patient, I guess.” 

“Hey, look, right now, I don’t really need more. I think we both have had some pretty shitty experiences in relationships, and maybe it’s for the best we go slow,” if only Genma heard him be this emotionally mature. “You’ve got me as long as you want me, and when you’re ready for something more, tell me, okay?” The funny part was he was telling the truth, entirely. Being in relationships scared him more than any opponent he had ever faced. He wasn’t ready to jump into a new one. But he was still hopelessly in love with this girl. 

“Okay,” she quickly kissed him, “Hey, so, we never talked really after the last time we had sex.” She had once assisted in retrieving a lightbulb that a man had inserted in a place it should never be. It was odd. She never got bashful or shy when discussing details with Tsunade or the patient. But now she was blushing over liking being spanked, pathetic. 

While he wished that she wouldn’t get so flustered talking about what made her feel good, he had to admit the expression on her face when she did was pretty cute. “Ah,” his tone became calmer, “you’re right. So I was right, princess, you’re a little masochist, more of one than I thought actually.” He tried not to grin too much. “But I should have known you were a glutton for punishment, those hospital hours you pull are insane,” he was only half-joking. She was covering for some shifts for Hanabi lately, and it had caused her to work the absolute maximum a doctor could work. He was a little concerned about how healthy that was, but he’d be lying if it didn’t annoy him a little that, because of it, they had also gone almost two weeks without sex. 

“Yeah yeah,” just as Kakashi hated being lectured by doctors, she hated being lectured about being a doctor. “But,” she redirected the conversation, a little more timidly, “Why did you stop spanking me when I said harder?” 

“Because I’m very strong, and if I hit you too hard, I could actually hurt you. I could leave marks and bruises, and I don’t mind doing that, but I also thought I should talk to you and make sure that’s what you wanted if I did. Does that make sense?” Most of the girls he had sex with liked it rough, but never as rough as what Sakura wanted. What Sakura wanted was funny enough, how Kakashi liked it when he slept with guys. Funny world they lived in. 

“Yeah, I mean,” she paused for a moment to think, “I don’t know if that’s what I want. I like the pain from it but having bruises and marks afterward is confusing. Can I think about it?” 

“Of course,” he chuckled, “Take all the time you need. How about we just stay as hard as I did last time until you tell me otherwise?” She nodded, “Okay, so is there anything else you liked?” 

“I liked all of it, honestly, more than I thought. “ She kissed his cheek again but this time higher up on his jawline, “daddy,” she whispered. 

“Fuck,” he couldn’t help himself, not anymore. His hand weaved up her shirt, under her bra. At the same time, his lips were pressed against her. Usually, an act like this would be aggressive and raw, but it was soft and tender, each kiss lingered. Even touching her breast was a caring act. It felt good to handle them as it always had, but instead of touching her with the intent of arousal, he felt himself just wanting to be as close to her as possible. He loved Rin and Hanare, but sex with them never felt like this. You could chalk it up to him and Rin both being virgins and Hanare having intimacy issues, but it felt like something else. 

Sakura sat back down on the blanket, pulling Kakashi’s collar along with her. She had set out tonight to have sex with him, but here they were making out under the stars, both of them too preoccupied with each other’s mouth to take off their clothes. It reminded her of high school. “Have sex with me right now, please?” she finally broke their string of kisses. The words “fuck me” just didn’t seem right for what was happening. 

“God, you’re beautiful,” He sat up and unbuckled his pants then undoing the button and zipper on hers. “Pull down your pants,” he requested before kissing her again, deeper this time as she wriggled her legs. Neither of them had experienced intimacy like this before, unprovoked and loving, devoid of any doubt and baggage, it was pure. It was a surprise to both of them. They have been sleeping together for a while now. Apparently, that and just making out was enough to make her wet and him hard. 

His hand reached down to her pant’s waistband and pulled it down more, “Kakashi, I need you,” she whimpered. 

“I know,” he slid inside of her. Before they reached this point, he had been looking forward to spanking and blindfolding her again, and he still was, but right now, he just wanted to focus on her. Every expression she made, every sound that escaped her, he needed to take it all in. Slowly he worked his way in, almost content to stay there forever and just tell her all the ways she had changed his life. But with every thrust, he saw her face change. Her hands now on the back of his head, clench a little harder. It felt too good to stop. 

Maybe it was that they were under the stars or perhaps because they were at the most important place to him in the world, but every animalistic instinct Kakashi ever had during sex was gone. It took every fiber in his being not to tell her he loved her. “Kakashi,” she moaned, “you feel so good.” she pulled his head closer to her chest. 

“Not as good as you feel,” he poked his head out from her clutches. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment. For a moment, Kakashi felt a pang of anxiety, a feeling he often didn’t associate with sex as he struggled with whether or not to tell her. Right now, he was the surest he’d ever been that he was fully and completely in love with her. 

Neither of them wanted to finish. Everything just felt so perfect right then, which was funny since they were mostly clothed on an abandoned foundation. “Finish inside me, Kakashi,” the request and the way she said his name was too much. As much as he wanted to stay like this forever, it had been two weeks, and he was only human. 

“Fuck,” he sneered at himself, “shit, I’m sorry, sometimes I don’t have a lot of control over this thing.” He pulled out of her and took his flannel off so she could clean herself up, “Here,” not the ideal thing to use but better than nothing.

“Thanks,” after taking a second, she zipped up her pants and sat up. “It’s really beautiful tonight,” she rested her head against his biceps. He was move exposed with the flannel off and him just wearing a t-shirt then he was a moment ago inside of her. 

“Not as beautiful as you,” he kissed the top of her head. He hated how corny he had gotten since being with her, “Sorry if the sex wasn’t very exciting.”

“I liked it,” she smiled, “I mean, don’t get me wrong I want it to hurt a little next time,” she drew out her words, “but this was nice too.” 

“Nice, huh?” He wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not. 

Catching the attitude in his voice, she doubled down, “Yeah. Nice, it was sweet and intimate, more than any sex I’d ever had before, it was…” she struggled to find the right word than it hit her. She didn’t just have sex with this man. They made love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol wasn't a fan of writing this sex scene, I tried something different and I like the effect but it was super difficult to write. Again, thanks for bearing with me


	15. The Wedding Pt 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I decided to port two chapters at once because they do really go together, but also, as I said in the last chapter, I was feeling really uninspired. I feel the last few chapters were kind of bad because of it, but I'm feeling good about the story again, and I'm having a lot of fun, so think of this as a gift, so sticking through it with me. Also, all you guys left such sweet comments. It really made me motivated to writing through the slump, so thank you!

“Kakashi, I have to shower,” Sakura could feel his hands sliding up her sides under her hoodie as she unlocked her door. They had just finished their first lesson with Hanabi and Hinata. It went better than any of them thought. And while he was an excellent instructor and a complete professional, he was also sure Sakura wore spandex to try and get a rise out of him. 

Once the door opened, he just about shoved her in, “No, you don’t,” he was behind her, kissing her now salty neck, “I like you like this.” His hand trailed down and cupped her shorts, “Why don’t you wear these more often?”

“Because I have almost no time in my schedule to work out. And when I do,” she turned around, “I’m usually naked with you.” They started making out more intensely with Kakashi unzipping her hoodie and pushed it, so she was just in her sports bra and spandex. In turn, Sakura threw off his shirt until all that was left of him were those damn grey sweatpants. “Fine,” she finally took a breath, “you win, bedroom.”

That was all he needed. He picked her up, one hand on each side of her ass, “any requests, princess?” He carried her to the bedroom, dropping her on the mattress. 

“Show me that move again, the one where you twisted my arm,” she stood up, holding out her arm. 

Kakashi grabbed it, pinned it behind her back, and bent her forward, “This one?” If they hadn’t both been wearing pants, he’d be all the way inside her by now. His dick was rock hard, tenting his sweats, “Do you like it when I dominate you like this, princess?” He tightened his grip and started rubbing himself against her ass.

“Soon, I’ll know how to get out of this,” she huffed, trying to hide the arousal every time she felt him slip between her thighs. 

“Fuck,” he spat. He had never been this impatient with someone before. With his free hand, he pulled down his sweats just low enough to have his cock and pulled down her spandex, teasing her entrance. “You’re mine Sakura,” he bent down closer to her ear and whispered before sliding himself in. 

“I’m yours,” her voice became strained between thrusts. “I’m yours,” she managed again. To her surprise, the grip on her forearm was released, replaced by an even tighter hold on her hips. 

“I’m going to fill you up Sakura,” They had concluded the most logical way to have mind-blowing sex was to not seeing anyone else so they wouldn’t have to wear a condom. In his book, it was a win-win. He wasn’t sure he could ever share a woman this beautiful. He felt his mind going blank as he got closer. Usually, he liked to take his time but coming back from a workout, his adrenaline was pumping, and he found it challenging to slow himself.

“Kakashi, I’m going to cum,” she was grabbing on the sheet tight enough to see the whites on her knuckles. 

“Cum on my dick,” he was sure if it was a demand or request. Shortly after, though, he felt a tightening around him, which was enough to push him over the edge. “Holy shit,” all he wanted to do was crash on the floor, but he was a gentleman, so he grabbed a towel for her first before falling backward on the bed. “I’ll wash your sheets in a second,” he finally came to his senses enough to speak. 

“What do you mean,” Sakura pulled her bra off and grabbed a clean towel to take to her shower. 

“I was already sweaty, and now I’m more sweaty, lying on your bed. I wasn’t thinking about it, I’m sorry,” he sat up to her completely naked with only a towel she was holding against her chest to cover. “Mmm, come over here.”

“Oh no,” she glared, “I’m taking a damn shower,” her expression softened, “Come with me?” 

“Yeah,” he stood up, “Besides,” he moved closer, grazing the underside of her breast with his fingers, “I haven’t even gotten to see these yet. They must feel so neglected.”

She rolled her eyes, “you’re not funny Kakashi,” she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the bathroom. It had been a good week, sparring all the time. He was pretty sure every time he saw Sakura that week. They had fucked. Teaching wasn’t as horrible as he remembered it being, and now he was in the shower with the woman he loved, even if she didn’t know it. Life was good. Too bad next week he had to go to a damn wedding. 

***

“So week two of lessons, be honest, who's the best?” They were in the car driving to the venue, a vineyard forty minutes outside of town. Sakura insisted on driving since Kakashi had been taking them everywhere lately. 

“Well, Hanabi is probably the most perceptive and aware. I swear she can copy every move I make to a tee. It’s kind of weird. Also, she is really aggressive, almost alarmingly so. Hinata is also freakishly agile and fast. She lapped me in the warm-up jog, and I don’t think she broke a sweat doing it,” he thought for a moment, choosing his next words carefully, “And you are way stronger than I expected. All and all, you guys are all the better than I expected you to be.”

“What do you mean stronger than you expected?” She pouted.

“I mean, when I told you to punch me as hard as you could, I didn’t expect it to hurt,” he rubbed his chin where her fist had touched, “I mean, I had to be cool about it during the lesson, but it hurt a lot more than I thought.”

“Good,” she flicked her head up higher, staying on the road, “Okay, I think we’re about to pull up to the venue. Thanks for coming with me,” she slowed down the car and pulled into a spot. “I do appreciate it. I know weddings aren’t your thing, but they’re not Shikamaru’s either, so I can guarantee the ceremony is going to be short than we can drink.”

“You don’t need to thank me,” he stretched out in his seat as soon as they stopped, “If I knew you during Asuma’s wedding, I would have dragged you along too. I’ll survive a night,” he said, getting out of the car. The hotel was nice, a little too nice. It’s not like he knew a lot about Sakura’s financials, but she complained a few times that she couldn’t wait for an attending position to make more. “Hey, can I pay for half the hotel room? I don’t feel right staying somewhere I didn’t pay for,” it was kind of true. Unless, of course, it was Kurenai, he felt a little less bad when it was her. 

“Don’t worry about it,” she sighed, “This is the hotel they recommended guests stay in, but when I asked Shikamaru if it was okay to stay in a cheaper hotel nearby, he told me he and Ino had already booked a room for me.” She grabbed her bags, and the two walked to the lobby. 

Luckily they were both pretty light packers. Kakashi liked that about her that she lived simply. It was dumb, but he liked the idea that they could grab a backpack and just disappear if they wanted to. Not that they ever would, but sometimes it was a nice fantasy. “Those are some nice friends you got there.”

“Yeah,” she rolled her eyes, “They do it all the time. It used to bug the shit out of me, but it’s not a strain on them. They’re both successful professionally, but their families are loaded. All of Ino’s family are doctors, and all of Shika’s are lawyers. They have another old family friend named Choji, whose family are all world-class chefs. Their families have all been friends for generations, kind of weird if you ask me, but I grew up in the suburbs, so what do I know,” she shrugged. Always surrounded by wealthy, old family name friends could be odd at times for someone as ordinary as her, but she had to admit, it did come with perks every once and awhile. 

“I grew up in an apartment above a Chinese restaurant,” well he did before his dad died. After that, he lived with a friend of his dad’s and his history teacher for a short time. “But I know how you feel. It used to annoy me when Kurenai paid for everything, but after a while, you just have to accept that rich people don’t quite get why it’s weird to pay for other people’s things,” he chuckled.

The two checked in and made their way to the room. Immediately Sakura dropped her bag and fell onto the bed, “Driving makes me tired.”

Kakashi dropped his bag next to hers and joined her, “Sakura, we should probably get ready. The ceremony is in a couple of hours.” While he was happy to be late to the ceremony and just show up for dinner and drinks, he had a feeling Sakura would hate him even suggesting it. 

“I know, I know,” she sat up and yawned, “Let’s get this over with.”

***

Everything he had ever seen her in was either sexy, hot, or scrubs, but even the scrubs we're kind of hot. But now all he could think was how adorable she looked. She was wearing a pink floral sundress. The sleeves hung off her shoulder, leaving her shoulders exposed, her curled hair resting just above them. While it wasn’t as form-fitting as he liked, how it flowed in the wind, right above her knees, made his heart drop. Just a couple of days ago, he told her he was going to fill her up with cum and to call him daddy while railing her from behind. Now he felt like a dirty pervert. 

“You okay?” Sakura looked over, “you look like you’re thinking about something.” You could drive to the venue, but it was nice out and only a twenty-minute walk from the hotel. It was a beautiful summer, so it seemed like a waste to spend unnecessary time in a car. 

“Oh, sorry,” he shook his head, “I was just thinking about how cute you look,” he hummed. 

“No, really,” she pouted. It probably did sound like a fake answer, but it wasn’t. Ever since she slipped it on in the hotel room, he had been obsessing over it. For once, he didn’t want to rip her clothes off. 

“I think we’re here,” he changed the subject as he had already answered her question. 

Of course, it was going to be beautiful. The Nara’s had so much money that there was no way it wouldn’t be. But of course, Shikamaru probably had very little to do with it- he barely planned his class schedule in college. She didn’t see him changing just for his wedding. He must have had one hell of a planner. She took in the decorations before feeling a buzz from her purse. 

Hey, so Shika’s dad invited Sasuke last minute because their families do some business together, and he has a date. Just warning you 

“Oh,” she hadn’t meant to react out loud after reading the text, but it had been years since she had seen him.

“What’s up?” The text and the worried expression was a little concerning. 

“Let’s sit down,” She found two seats and Sakura looked around, “I guess Sasuke is here with a date, and I just haven’t seen him since we broke up.” As much as she wished it didn’t bug her that he would be here, it did. It made her feel guilty too. “Sorry if I’m acting weird, I just..” she wasn’t sure how to explain how she was feeling. 

“Hey,” he put his hand on her thigh, “It’s okay, you don’t have to explain. I get it. Well,” he nodded his head back and forth, “I actually don’t because my first ex is dead and the other one is god knows where on the run but still.” Sakura just gave him a blank expression. A bit horrified by his response, “too dark?” He asked. She nodded, “Ah, sorry, but you don’t have to apologize for your feelings is what I’m getting at.”

Relief washed over her. She was glad he didn’t take it the wrong way. She really didn’t have feelings for him, but still, they were engaged, and he had hurt her. There were some types of feelings there. “You hide it well, but you’re kind of a weird guy Hatake,” her eyes narrowed. 

“I do my best,” he settled into his chair, giving an occasional wave to Sakura’s friends as they filled the seats. One of her friends was a vet who specialized in dogs in Konoha. He might have to take Pakkun to him for a check-up soon. Naruto sat behind them with Hinata. They talked a little about how lessons with Hanabi were going. Naruto had invited himself to the next one. 

The ceremony was about to start, the seats were about to fill up, but he could see a black-haired man with a redhead on his arm in the distance. Sakura was turned around talking to Hinata and couldn’t see, but he was pretty sure he knew who that was. Fuck he thought to himself. He wasn’t sure if telling her to turn around was a good idea, but she would see him anyways, better to rip off the band-aid. The two girls laughed about something that made him feel shittier, but he tapped her shoulder, “Hey,” he said quietly to get her attention. Bobbing his head towards the direction Sasuke was walking, both her and Naruto noticed him. 

“That fucking bitch,” she mumbled, looking away. It was unclear whether she was talking about Sasuke or Karin, but either way, she was pissed that she had to be his date. There were two chairs next to Naruto, but he thought it might not be best for the two to sit near each other, so he excused himself away from Hinata, who, through Naruto, had a vague understanding of what was going on. In the distance, she could see Naruto interfere and redirect the pair to a seat on the opposite aisle as them. Silently Sakura thanked him. 

Often Kakashi found himself unsure in dealing with other people’s emotions, but this was something else. As annoying as Kurenai could be, he wished he could ask her what to do right about now. “Hey,” his hand brushed against hers, the touch relaxed her expression, “do you want to leave or...?”

Tempting as bailing sounded, that wasn’t fair to Shikamaru or herself, “no,” she shook her head. “I’m okay. I just didn’t realize they were still seeing each other, that’s all.“ There a moment of silence while she took a few deep breaths, “Sorry for the dramatics, but it’s okay.” Her hands grabbed his, “Thanks for the offer, though.” she gave him a quick peck on his cheek.

“Too bad, I could use a nap,” He moved his arm over her shoulder as Naruto came back to his seat. The ceremony was beautiful and, as Sakura guessed, on the short side. It was cool, though. He had a best man, a portly guy, but next to him was Ino Kakashi was a sucker for breaking tradition. Guests flooded into the reception hall. There was a cocktail hour before dinner and dancing. The bar seemed crowded, though, so she and Kakashi hung back as a standing table. Despite her not asking, Kakashi kept an eye on where Sasuke was. It probably sucked to see your ex-fiance at a wedding, especially when his date was the woman he cheated on you with. As the crowd for the bar cleared up, Sakura suggested they go over, but Kakashi could see behind her that Sasuke was heading over himself, “Let me just look at you a little longer, you’re so cute tonight,” he rested his elbow on the table and chin in his palm.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Sasuke walk up, and she smiled. He was protecting her. She didn’t ask for it, and she didn’t need it, but he did it anyway. Between Sasuke and her career, she had tended to put others before herself, and most of the time, she did it happily. But here was this man who wasn’t even her boyfriend because she wasn’t ready to define anything, who even before today consistently put her feelings above anything else. “This might sound weird, but do you want to be my boyfriend?”

She could have asked this question that first night at the bar after his surgery, and he probably would have said yes. Honestly, he’s not sure he could ever say no to her, “I thought you’d never ask.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ladies, gents, and everyone one else... we have an official couple!


	16. The Wedding Pt 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 is here! By the way, since this story gets more views I'm going to shamelessly plug my other story Thicker than Blood. It's about Kakashi and Sakura raising Sarada while slowly falling in love. A very different story but I think it's cute.

The cocktail hour between a wedding and reception wasn’t exactly where she expected to make Kakashi officially her boyfriend. Still, every time their relationship took an unexpected twist, which seemed to be a lot, she reminded herself that she did take his appendix out. They had finally gotten their drinks, and he was formally introduced to some more of Sakura’s friends, “Hey, huge fan of yours, my man.” The guy had shaggy brown hair and a weird intensity to him, but if he remembered correctly, this was the vet who liked dogs, so how bad could he be. “I’m Kiba, and this is Shino,” he pointed to the quiet guy behind him who lifted his hand. He had blackout glasses, which was a bit off-putting, but Kakashi didn’t mind off-putting. 

“Nice to meet you, and thanks. Sakura told me you had a clinic for dogs in Konoha. My pug is due for a check-up. Should I come by?” Already he had spoken more to guests than he did at Asuma’s wedding. 

“Hell yeah, you should,” He grabbed a business card from his wallet, “here you go, ask for Kiba. My mother and sister work there too, so you won’t get far asking for Dr. Inuzuka.”

Sakura interjected, “Kiba, Shino, and I all did a biology major in college, so we had a lot of classes together.” 

“What do you do?” Kakashi peered past Kiba at the quiet one. 

“Entomologist at the Konoha zoo,” he said in a matter of fact way, “Also a big fan.”

The guy was weird, but he seemed nice enough, “Thanks.” 

“I can’t believe pinkie here got herself a famous boyfriend,” Kiba teased, they had been ruthless to each other back in the day, and while they had both lightened up, it was still fun for him to get a rise out of her. 

Both of them almost corrected him, they had only been official for about fifteen minutes, but luckily they remembered before making it weird. “And here I thought you might have grown up a little Kiba,” Sakura sipped her drink with a smug smile. 

“No, he really hasn’t,” Shino interjected before Kiba could. 

“Hey!” He turned around. But before he could get too upset, “Oh, it’s Naruto. Catch up with you guys later.” He went to greet his old friend, Shino, in tow. 

They spent the rest of the hour talking about nothing and everything. After a couple of drinks, she was able to get out of him that he wanted her to wear her old cheerleading uniform in bed at some point. Something that Sakura was more than happy to entertain. Finally, Ino came out. “Look at you two all cleaned up such a cute little couple,” she teased and waited for them to respond along the lines of ‘we're not a couple.’ “Not going to correct me?”

“What’s there to correct?” Sakura gave her a small smile. She knew it would make Ino happy. 

If only she had a camera out when Ino put the pieces together, her face was pretty funny, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Happened like an hour ago,” Sakura shrugged, “sound about right?” she looked over to Kakashi, who nodded in agreement. 

Both of her arms wrapped around them as they crashed in between them. “You guys are so cute I’m so happy for you!” 

For a while, Kakashi thought about asking Sakura if she thought Ino and Genma would be a good couple. He was starting to get tired of the parade of different women in the apartment. He would rather it be one consistent person. But they might be too alike for his taste. But he had a backup, Shizune from the hospital, but he would ask later.

“Uh, thanks,” he carefully removed her hand from his shoulder, “we should probably sit down, though. It looks like they’re about to serve dinner.”

“Oh yeah! Unfortunately, I can’t sit with you guys, I’m at the table with the rest of the wedding party, but you guys are next to Hinata, Shino, Naruto, and Hinata. I’ll catch up with you love birds later,” she kissed Sakura’s cheek before leaving. 

Sometimes talking to Ino was like doing sprints. She had to catch her breath after. “Sorry, I know she’s a lot,” she sighed as they walked over to the table that the others had already found for them.

“How about I won’t apologize for Genma, and you don’t have to apologize for Ino,” he smirked while grabbing her waist. 

They sat through dinner, which was ridiculously good but considering how fancy the wedding was, it was no surprise. The catering was done by the best man’s family’s restaurant, the world-famous one. There were some speeches and stories, all of which Sakura was thoroughly entertained by while Kakashi sat back and drank. He and Hinata had a game going where every time everyone else at the table laugh because they understood what was going on, they’d make weird faces at each other. 

Even Kakashi admitted that the first dance was sweet, the bride, Temari, was gorgeous, and Shikamaru looked nervous with each step. After they opened the dance floor up, Hinata and Naruto were on it, well mostly Naruto, but Hinata liked how enthusiastic he was. Kiba went to find some single girls to hit on and dragged Shino with him. “Hey,” Sakura grabbed his hand, “I know you probably don’t like dancing but-”

He took it and stood up, “I don’t, but I like you, so come on.” It was worth it to see her face light up. The song was slow, and while he wasn’t entirely sure what to do, it seemed like she didn’t either. “Sorry, I’m not very good at this, apparently fighting and dancing have some correlation with each other, but I don’t think it applies to me,” he leaned in and kissed her forehead. 

“Yeah, well, I used to be a cheerleader, and I’m basically just swaying, but as long as you keep your hands on my waist, I’m happy,” he rested her head in his chest. They stayed like that the entire song. It was nice and intimate, even if they were basically just hugging. 

The song ended, but before they could go back to the table, they both heard a cough of someone trying to interrupt them, “Sakura, could I have this next dance? I’d like to talk to you if that’s alright.”

The fucking nerve of this guy. Kakashi wanted to drop kick the black-haired punk. Before answering him, though, Sakura looked at Kakashi. She looked like she wanted to say yes, and as much as he hated it, Sakura seemed unfazed at the request. It looked like she had a few things to say to him as well. Plus, he trusted her. So he nodded and left the two alone. 

It had been a long time since Sasuke touched her, especially a hand to her waist and the other locking into hers. “So, what do you want to talk about? You have one song.”

“I’m sorry,” she heard a sigh of relief as he said it, “I treated you badly, and I’m sorry.”

It was a complete paradigm shift. She was ready to rip him a new one. “Oh, it’s okay,” were the only words she could muster. 

“It’s not. I loved you and took you for granted, but I just wanted to say I still love you, not in a marriage kind of way, but we used to be close, and you were there for me a lot, and I’m sorry I didn’t do the same for you.” It was odd to hear him ramble so much, “I’m also sorry I brought Karin- would you believe me if I told you she literally just showed up?” He shook his head, “I probably seem like an asshole,” he groaned. 

“Yeah, I would actually,” she agreed, “I remember her being rather intrusive. Besides, I forgave you two a long time ago.”

“You did?” he raised an eyebrow, “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“I wasn’t expecting an apology,” she quipped, “But yeah, I mean, I still have some anger about the cheating, but I think I forgive you ultimately. You haven’t been dealt the easiest hand in life, and I just don’t think you were ready for a relationship. I did have good memories of you, you know? I didn’t want to be mad at that part of you anymore. Does that make sense?”  
He chuckled, “Honestly, not completely but thank you anyway. I don’t deserve it. Hey, I know you’re probably not ready to be my friend again, but I do miss you in that way. Every couple of months, Naruto and I grab dinner together at Ichiraku. Could I invite you next time?”

“You can invite me. I might not say yes the first few times, but if you keep trying, I’ll come around,” and she meant it because, in some ways, she missed him too. The song stopped and let go of each other, “I should get back to my boyfriend. I’m sure he’s not thrilled that I’m dancing with my ex-fiance.”

“Yeah, probably not. But thanks, I’ve wanted to talk to you for a while,” Sakura gave a small wave and turned around, “Oh,” he added, and she looked back over her shoulder, “when you do say yes to dinner, we’re going to talk about the fact you’re dating a famous MMA fighter.”

“Yeah yeah,” she turned back around and walked back. It was something she didn’t know she needed, but now she felt ready to be Kakashi’s girlfriend. As she returned to the table, everyone else has come back to their seats and just stared in both awe and confusion. “What?” 

The table was silent, waiting for Naruto or Kakashi to break it. But neither of them did, and Kiba got impatient, “You were dancing with your ex-fiance who cheated on you, that’s what.”

“If you guys must know, he just wanted to apologize to me,” she said softly and sat back down. 

“Shut up. He did not,” she heard a recognizably shrill voice behind her. It was Ino who had Shikamaru and Temari behind her. 

“Maybe that guy isn’t a complete asshole. I was about to apologize for him being here, but I guess it was a good thing,” Shikamaru smiled. 

“Shika!” As quickly as she had sat down, she stood up again to hug him, “I’m so proud of you! The ceremony was beautiful.” She looked over at Temari, who she had only seen pictures of at that point, “I’m Sakura. I’ve heard a lot about you, I’m so sorry we didn’t get to meet before today, but you look gorgeous.”

“Thank you. I’ve heard a lot about you too. I hope you guys are enjoying the wedding,” she added. The whole table nodded and complimented them on their favorite parts. 

“Oh, Shika, this is my boyfriend,” Sakura looked behind her. No one caught the look of excitement Hinata and Naruto gave each other at the title. But before she could give him his name, Shikamaru beat her to the punch. 

“Kakashi Hatake. Temari and I are big MMA fans, something about watching people beat the shit out of each other after court is oddly satisfying,” he stepped behind Sakura, “but either way, nice to finally meet you. Ino hasn’t shut up about you.”

It was an odd statement, but not surprising given how big of a gossip Ino was. Sakura glared at Ino, who only shrugged. “Nice to meet you too, congrats, by the way. To the both of you.” 

There was a bit more small talk, but Shikamaru and Temari quickly got pulled away, the new husband groaning very audibly at all the socializing he had to do. Kakashi empathized. It sounded like his worst nightmare too. There were a few more dances, the table dragged the new couple on the floor, but after a few more drinks, neither of them minded as much. Sakura also noticed the more drinks he had in him, the tighter and lower his grip on her waist became. It struck her that she had never seen him drunk before. She was glad to know he was a happy and fun one. Despite Ino’s insistence, there was no after-party as the newlyweds had a flight to catch in the morning, and all Shikamaru wanted to do was sleep. 

“That was fun,” Sakura said into his ear before resting her chin on his neck. She hated wearing heels while drunk, and while she was perfectly happy to walk barefoot in the perfectly manicured lawn, Kakashi insisted she gets on his back. In retrospect, it wasn’t a great idea since he was also drunk, but it was fun. 

“You know it wasn’t too bad. At Asuma’s wedding, I was just an anti-social drunk.” He wasn’t sure what the change in experiences came from, but he did know he was happy, which was good enough for now. 

“Every time I get drunk, you always end up carrying me. Why is that?”

“Because every time you’re drunk, you wear some ridiculous heels that you don’t want to walk in, and I like spoiling you because I’m absolutely and totally in love with you.” He stopped, dropping her slowly before turning around. His first thought was to apologize. He became her boyfriend a couple of hours ago, and even though he had known for a while now his feelings, it was way too fucking soon to tell her. 

But before he could come up with the words to explain himself, she flung her arms around his neck and hugged him. “I think I love you too.”

Girls were so confusing, “You think?” It came off a bit more aggressive than he meant it to, but it was a weird way to say it back, so he figured they were even. 

She pulled away from the embrace, opting instead to hold both his hands, “It’s a bad answer. I’m sorry tonight was just a lot for me. You became my boyfriend officially. Sasuke apologized and being at this wedding, I just sort of realized that maybe I do want to get married someday. After Sasuke cheated on me, I swore it off, but…” her mind was rushing but, maybe because of the alcohol, there was no panic or anxiety in them. She felt so comfortable sharing with him. “I’m just changing how I thought my life would turn out and how I feel about love and relationships,” she scoffed, “I’m rambling, but I just need to sort my thoughts out before I tell you officially. Is that okay?”

“Of course it is,” he leaned down and kissed her softly, “I’m sorry I said it. I didn’t mean to, but I’ve known for a while I tend to have loose lips when I’m drunk.”

“It’s okay,” she kissed him back, “We’re good, right?”

“Yeah, we’re okay. Better than I’d bet.” And with that, he had her jump on his back again. The rest of the walk was a comfortable silence as they contemplated the conversation that just happened, however brief. They got back to the hotel, where Sakura insisted she walk herself. They weren’t up for too much longer, only long enough to wash their faces and change clothes, both of them drifting off to sleeping easily as if they were now lighter. 

The next morning was not as sweet and tender as they had the world’s shittiest hangovers. Luckily this hotel was exceptionally nice and offered complimentary breakfast room service. “I’m getting coffee and a bagel. I don’t think I can handle much else. What do you want?”

“Coffee, just coffee,” he groaned. 

Her head hurt. She dreaded even calling room service. But his groaning, while hiding his face from the sun in his pillow, was cute enough to elicit a smile. While they waited for the food, they took turns showering. Sakura picked the food up from the door while he took his turn. 

“I know you said you just wanted coffee, but you should get some bread with you. It’ll make you feel better.” Still, in just a towel, he grabbed the bagel and took a bite, opting not to put anything on it. 

“You got it doc,” he was glad she got him one. He was feeling a little better after the shower and was getting a little hungry. “How are you feeling?”

“Better now that I have coffee in my hand and a gorgeous shirtless man in front of me, you?” 

“Better now that I have coffee in my hand, but even better if I had a gorgeous shirtless you in front of me,” he bent down and kissed the top of her head. 

On the drive home, they didn’t speak a word of the night before. Not because it was awkward but because there was nothing to say. Kakashi loved her, and Sakura needed time to figure herself out before she said it back. However, he made the personal choice not to repeat it until she did. Seemed easier that way. They talked about his upcoming fight in Naka that Sakura agreed to take off work for. She had to be a supportive girlfriend, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not completely on the I hate Sasuke train. He's just shitty to Sakura.


	17. 2,4,6,8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS SEX SCENE TOOK ON A LIFE OF IT'S OWN. There was supposed to be a lot more plot in this chapter but I mean is anyone mad??   
> Sex scene warning. A little bit of age play

The fight in Naka was two weeks away, and Sakura was putting in a lot more hours at work to make up for her missing a weekend for his fight. It was times like this Kakashi was glad he was his boss, kind of. 

“Heard you made it official with the good doctor. Way to not tell me,” Genma threw his sweaty glove at him. It had been almost a week since the wedding. 

“Yeah, well, we were basically in a relationship before, and what was I supposed to do? Just say ‘I have a girlfriend?’” He swatted the glove away before it could hit him. “How did you find out?” He knew he shouldn’t have asked. It was Ino, definitely Ino. 

“Yeah, that’s exactly how you’re supposed to say it, and yes, Ino.” He was right. As much as Kakashi hated to admit it but bringing stuff up like that was weird and awkward, but he supposed no less awkward than telling her a couple of hours after making it official that he loved her. 

“I’m proud of you, Kakashi. She’s great. I’m really happy for the two of you,” Asuma added, “Is she going with you to Naka.”

“Yeah, but she’s working stupidly long hours to make up getting time off. Being a surgeon is weird,” he stood up to hit the shower. When he got out, Genma and Asuma were going for a second round. Kakashi had been training hours before they got there and needed a break. Before he left, he felt his pocket vibrate. 

**Tsunade sent me home for the next eighteen hours. Come over, 8ish? ;)**

“Hey!” Genma paused the match as Kakashi started to walk out. “Wanna order a pizza tonight for dinner.”

He turned around with a shit-eating grin on his face, “My girlfriend just sent me a text telling me to come over tonight with a winky face next to it, so I think I’ll pass tomorrow, though. But we should order from that burger place instead. Their fries are good.” He put a hand up and waved, “See you guys tomorrow.” 

After he left, Genma looked at Asuma, shaking his head, “He’s still the shit head Kakashi I’ve known for nearly a decade, but he’s happier right? I don’t think he’s ever given anyone a rain check before.” 

“He’s happier. But yes, still a shit head. Come on, I have to be home in an hour,” he lightly punched Genma’s shoulder, and they went back to their workout. 

***

**Let yourself in. I’m in my room**

A promising invite. The door was unlocked, so he peered in, “Sakura, I’m here.” Although he regretted giving her any warning, it would have been much more fun to surprise her. He made his way to the bedroom where she was hopefully waiting for him naked. “Holy shit,” this might have been better. His jaw dropped, and his eyes opened wide, taking in the site. 

Red. Of course, it was red. She was worried that it wouldn’t fit anymore, but she surprisingly hadn’t gained much weight since high school. Plus, she had a second-hand uniform that was a bit too big, so her mom tightened it in the waist with a few stitches that she quickly undid with some scissors to fit her slightly fuller hips. “Do you like it?” It was maybe over the top to also wear the white sneakers and hair ribbon with it, but she had already gone this far. He grabbed his mouth with his hand. The sight was actually leaving him speechless. “Kakashi?” she stepped a little closer, standing on her tiptoes and wrapping her arms around him.

“I’m sorry, I just need a moment,” he pushed her away, which offended her at first, but then she realized he wanted to observe her a little longer. “Would you mind turning around,” her focus was the most intense she had ever seen from him. She did what she was told but added a skirt flip at the end, exposing the white spandex shorts that went underneath. “Okay, now do a cheer,” a smile began to creep on his face.

It had been a long time since she had made up a cheer, but it was her favorite part. She clapped her hands, “2,4,6,8 Kashi’s dick is really great!”

They both lost complete composure over the cheer. “Oh my god,” he laid her down on the bed and pinned himself on top. It was almost straight out of the make-out series- it was uncanny. “You, Ms. Haruno,” he shook his head, “I have no words.”

“But you do like it, right? You never answered my question,” of course she knew the answer, but she still wanted to hear it from him. 

Supporting himself with one hand, he used the other to unbutton his pants. She could feel it press against the inside of her thigh. He was definitely excited. “I love it. I think this is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“Hatake Sensei, I’m failing, is there anything I can do to get my grade up?” At this moment, she knew she was indeed an overachiever, part of her resented the idea of her failing a class, even during a sexy roleplay. 

Kakashi’s brain was in a much different place. The first time he had sex, he was pretty calm and collected about it, mostly because Rin was such a skittish person. He figured he had to be the rock in that situation. They only had sex a few times after that, and it was pretty mediocre since neither of them really knew what they were doing. He was pretty confident in his abilities though, by the time he dated Hanare, they had even done the whole school girl role play, but this was different, so different. His brain felt like it was shutting down or exploding. He couldn’t tell. “Fuck Ms. Haruno, I don’t know,” he reached up her skirt, pulling the shorts and her panties down, “I think maybe you need some private tutoring.”

His hand made its way to her folds, “I would appreciate that, sensei. I’ve never had a man touch me like this before,” she tried to pout but how his fingers felt against her clit was overpowering. 

This girl just continued to make this whole thing even sexier. “Are you a virgin, Ms. Haruno?” he lowered his head down to the skirt, pulling the shorts down lower.

“Yes, sensei,” she squeaked. She was throbbing just thinking about what he was going to do. 

First came the kisses on her inner thighs, “I better get you ready for me then. A cock as big as mine can hurt a cute girl like you.” With the first flick on his tongue, he was in heaven. It had been a while since he could pleasure her like this. He took satisfaction with having the skirt over his head and hearing the muffled ‘sensei’ that escaped her lips whenever he teased a spot a little too long. He could feel her move away, telling him she was about to cum, but he was enjoying himself entirely too much to let her go now. It’s not like he was going to be done with her after this. 

“I’m cumming,” her hands ran through her hair, pulling out the ribbon. Usually, she could see his eyes, signaling if he was ready for her to finish, but with his head covered with her skirt, she was left entirely to her own devices. It finally hit her, her body relaxed, and Kakashi again kissed her inner thighs but more tenderly this time. 

He grabbed his shirt, pulling it up, wiping his face with it as he did. He forgot to take off any of his own clothes in the excitement, “Ms. Haruno, did you like that?” Her eyes went wide, and her lip pouted. She nodded. He was happy to see she was still playing along with the game. “Your ribbon fell out,” he grabbed. He pulled down his jeans and boxers enough that his dick was in full view, taking a step back. “Come over here, on your knees, and let me put it back in.”

Again Sakura did what she was told, patiently waiting on her knees, his member throbbing in front of her. The touch of his hands on her hair as he carefully tied the ribbon back would have been sweet under different circumstances. “Can I suck on it, sensei?” She looked up, loosening the ribbon that was not yet all the way tied. 

“Tsk tsk, Ms. Haruno, you messed me up. You can do whatever you’d like to me. Just don’t move your head too much, or I’ll have to punish you,” he grazed her jawline with his fingers before trying again. She started out small and slow; she had to for him. As she worked her way up his shaft, she bobbed back to the tip, careful that her movements weren’t too sudden as to mess him up again. The further she took him, the more difficult it was for him to focus on making a knot that would stay, and she noticed. Especially, she noticed, his reaction the faster she seemed to go until, it felt so good, and her head was bobbing so much the ribbon fell, and for a second, he let himself enjoy it, but not for too long. Against his better judgment, he grabbed her hair and pulled her off him, “I told you if you messed up the ribbon, I’d punish you. Get on the bed and bend over.”

Sakura tried to hide her excitement, she was supposed to be a virginal cheerleader after all, but she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t secretly hoping that a punishment would come at some point. “I’m sorry, sensei,” she bent over the bed and lifting her skirt up as she did. 

The first smack was more playful than anything; he hit her again, a little harder enough to leave an already fading red mark on her. “Fuck,” he spat, using his free hand to jerk himself. The third time his hand stung a little, “Have you learned your lesson, Ms. Haruno?” 

“No, Hatake Sensei,” she perked her ass up again. 

As much as he was enjoying this, he just wanted to be inside of her. A little more forcefully than he intended, he smacked her again. Sakura jerked forward and moaned while Kakashi shook his hand out. Before Sakura could get back into position, though, Kakashi put his palm on her back, pushing her down on the bed. “I’m sorry, Ms. Haruno, but I really need to fuck you,” he leaned over her, the tip of him grazing her entrance, “I know it’s your first time, so I’ll try to be careful.” He tried to be the first couple thrusts, but she was so wet from cumming, and he was still so turned on by the outfit. Careful didn’t last long. 

“Kakashi,” she moaned, breaking character, “You feel so good.”

From behind was his favorite position, but it gave him a bad view of the outfit. He took himself out and forcefully flipped her over, “You forgot the sensei,” he kissed her and quickly slid back inside her.

“I’m sorry, sensei,” she let out after the kiss. He pushed her further up on the bed so he could get on too, gripping one hand on her ass while the other one moved up her shirt. Kakashi silently thanked his girlfriend for omitting a bra with the outfit. 

He pushed the shirt up, moving her mouth over her nipple. Sakura jerked her head back at the added pleasure. “I’m going to fill you up, Ms. Haruno,” he moved up to her neck, suckling on it in a similar way. He figured if they're going back to high school in a sense, he might as well go for a hickey. Once he gave Rin one, Obito nearly killed him, especially after Kakashi offered to give him one too if he was jealous. 

“Don’t get me pregnant, Hatake sensei,” she would regret opening up her neck to him later when she would have to explain to her coworkers that she, a twenty-seven-year-old surgeon, had a fucking hickey, but for now, it felt too good to make him stop. 

Again the surprises with this one. “Don’t tell me what to do, Sakura-chan. I’m not wearing a condom, and you don’t want me to ruin your cute little outfit, do you?” She nodded her head, “That’s what I thought. Now, are you going to take all cum and not complain like a good girl?” She nodded again. “Good.” He kissed her forehead before moving harder against her, he tried his best to last, but it was hard when Sakura was giving him a fey look of innocence. Despite knowing the look was very intentional, he fell for it hook, line and sinker. Finally, he finished. “Wow,” he turned over on his back as Sakura went to clean herself up, “Sakura, I can say without a doubt that was the most mind-blowing sex I’ve ever had.”

“Oh yeah?” she smirked, “I’m glad you liked it so much.” 

“You did too, right?” He sat up, a concerned look on his face, “I mean, I know the outfit was kind of for me.”

“Don’t worry,” she walked over and kissed the top of his head, “It was perfect. And the outfit was for me too. I look cute in it,” she twirled the skirt in front of him. 

“You look cute,” he grabbed her waist, “and hot and sexy. Sakura, I don’t think words can describe how that outfit made me feel. I think I officially don’t deserve you.”

“I’m going to change,” he frowned, “but maybe we could order some dinner and watch a movie?”

As much as she wanted her to live in the uniform, he knew he had been spoiled enough for the night. “That sounds perfect.” And it was, as far as he was concerned, anyways. 

***

Stepping out of the shower, Kakashi made the realization that he wouldn’t be able to have sex with Sakura the week leading up to the fight. He was way too relaxed during practice. The testosterone is what gave him the aggression he needed. But luckily, he could probably fit in one more time before having to stop. “You still want to order?” Kakashi stepped out of the bathroom in jeans and a t-shirt. 

“Why don’t we go out? Food’s always better when you get it there,” Genma suggested. 

“Sure,” he grabbed his keys and headed for the door. 

Genma got up and followed. Usually, it was like pulling teeth trying to get Kakashi to go out anywhere. He was such a homebody. When he asked, he was expecting the offer to get shot down, “Oh, okay,” he followed, not giving him a chance to change his mind. 

The burger place was a bar near their house, they probably didn’t have to drive, but Kakashi was sore and insisted. After ordering, grabbing a beer, and taking a number, they sat down at a booth, “You seeing anyone?” He took a sip. 

“Not really, but I was hoping you could ask Sakura if that doctor friend of hers is single. What do you think?” The question was weird coming from him. It’s not that Genma thought Kakashi didn’t care about his life or anything, but he tended to stay away from the topic of relationships in general with everyone. 

He shrugged, “Yeah, I’ll ask her, can’t hurt to. Can I ask your advice about something? It’s sex-related; I’m kind of stumped.”

“A sex question, huh? Well, Kakashi, when a man and a woman love each other very much,” he teased, the look on his face reverting to a familiar scowl. “Sorry, sorry,” he chuckled, “come on, ask me.” 

Talking about his sex life was new territory. He wasn’t a prude about it, although sometimes Genma could get a bit too graphic on the details, he just usually didn’t have much to say. He’d say he fucked someone, and it was good, maybe commenting if they were incredibly kinky, but it felt unimportant, until now. “So Sakura surprised me last night by wearing her old cheerleading outfit, and it was…”

“Amazing?” Genma’s eyes were wide, having a bit of a fantasy of what that looked like. 

Kakashi nodded, “Yeah, amazing. But now I feel like an asshole, she did this whole sexy thing for me that blew my mind, and I don’t know. I go down on her, but it doesn’t seem equal since she also blows me. You know?”

“Hmm, I see your dilemma,” Genma sat back to think, “Okay, maybe take her to a sex shop, I, unfortunately, don’t know what the good doctor is into, but it might be a good way to get some ideas.” Kakashi bobbed his head. He had to admit it was good advice, “How was that wedding, by the way? I feel like we’ve had opposite schedules since you got back.”

“Good for a wedding. Her friends are cool. She asked me to be her boyfriend officially, not that it changed anything. We ran into her ex-fiance, who apologized to her for cheating, and we got drunk,” their food finally came. 

“Wow, eventful night, but that’s cool of him, I guess. Any interesting drunk antics?” Genma took a bite of his burger. It had been a while since he and Kakashi talked like this.

Before answering, Kakashi took a bite too. He was starving after training, “Well, I told her I loved her.”

Genma started choking on a piece of his burger after hearing that. Once he settled, he put his food down, “I told you, man, you say it too early. You did the same thing with Hanare. You're just lucky she was also a hopeless romantic. How did Sakura take it?”

“She said, ‘I think I love you too,’” he sighed, taking a drink. 

“Ouch.”

“Yeah, but she was drunk. Talking to her ex-fiance was weird, and we had only made things official a few hours before. She said she needed time to think about it,” it was a perfectly reasonable and understandable request, but there was still a little bit of a sting. 

“I like her. She keeps you grounded. You pretend to be some cold, heartless bastard, but I think you’re just so full of feelings you don’t know what to do with yourself,” he shook his head, “She’ll say it back eventually. Her head is just screwed on the right, so she needs a normal amount of time.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” he shrugged, “About the normal amount of time thing, not whatever you said about my feelings or whatever.” The rest of the night was fun. They finished their food, played some pool. Genma got a girl’s number, and another girl tried to give Kakashi hers. It was like their underground fighting days, except they now got hangovers. They would have to go out like this more, Kakashi thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know they had to have a teacher fantasy at SOME point. Anyways this chapter was so fun to write.


	18. Big Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOOOf So I wrote this chapter awhile ago and edited it today but I also finished a thirteen-page paper today so sorry if I fucked anything up haha but hope you guys enjoy!

“So, just you today?” Kakashi had gotten a text from Sakura that she and Hinata would be stuck in surgery for the rest of the day. It was a shame Sakura wouldn’t be here, but it would still be fun. Hanabi was probably the best out of the three girls, she wasn't as strong as Sakura, but that was the only thing she lacked. Today he’d throw some more advanced stuff at her. Maybe even a few non-self-defense moves because why not?

“Yup! You’re stuck with me. What are we doing today?” She slipped through the boundaries of the ring. 

Kakashi tossed her some bandages, “wrap your hands.” Hanabi caught them and proceeded. At the same time, she did that. He thought about how this was going to go. He liked Hanabi because all he really had to do to teach her was show her a move and usually got it nearly perfect after that. But it was just him, and Naruto was homesick, so he had to bail too. The door opened, and he saw Asuma’s nephew walk in, he wasn’t nearly as good as Asuma was at his age, but he wasn’t bad either, “Hey Konohamaru get over here!”

“Uh, okay,” he threw his bag into the ring before coming in himself. “What’s up?” When he looked beside him, though, he stopped and stared, a little too long for Kakashi’s liking. Luckily she was too preoccupied with the bandages to notice. 

A snap from Kakashi broke his gaze, who rolled his eyes, “I need to beat you up for like twenty minutes so she can see some moves.”

As much as he wanted to say no, he wanted to get to know the cute brunette more. “Fine, can I see those bandages?” He turned to the girl who didn’t even look up before tossing them to him. “I’m Konohamaru,” he tried for some eye contact with her. 

“Dr. Hyuga,” Ever since the attack, Hanabi had been colder to men she didn’t know, which was fair, Kakashi understood, but poor Konohamaru didn’t. 

“Doctor? Is this your new girlfriend Asuma was telling me about?” He prayed it wasn’t. 

“What?” Kakashi and Hanabi looked at each other, their eyes slanted, “No, my girlfriend is her boss and has pink hair.”

“Thank god,” he sighed, relieved. The two looked at him, “I mean, thank god. He’s too old for you,” he tried to save himself. 

Kakashi put it together. This was the kid’s poor attempt at flirting with a girl who was way out of his league. “Jesus Christ,” he muttered, “Okay, Romeo, get over here.” While Kakashi explained the move then proceeded to do it to Konohamaru, Hanabi was distracted by putting together his ‘thank god’ comment and Kakashi’s Romeo one. “Got it?” Kakashi asked.

She realized that she had missed the entire demonstration, thinking about the younger man who was slammed on the floor. “Uhh, mind doing it one more time?” Kakashi cocked his brow, it was unlike her to need to see something twice, and this move wasn’t complicated. But it wasn’t that she didn’t understand the first time. She just wasn’t paying attention. Already Kakashi was regretting having Konohamaru help them. 

The rest of the lesson went okay. Hanabi became a little more distracted when Konohamaru took off his shirt after he became covered in sweat. And he decided to stay a lot longer than twenty minutes. As annoying as it was, he was happy to see Hanabi was doing better. While Kakashi took his bandages off his hands, he overheard Konohamaru take his shot, asking her out. He didn’t realize it was smart of him to do it before putting a new shirt on, “So Dr. Hyuga, there’s a perfect smoothie place down the street that I like going to after working out. Could I maybe treat you to one?”

“Hanabi, you can call me Hanabi. And yes, you can. I’m going to shower off first, though,” she slipped out quickly from the ring, heading towards the locker room. 

“Holy shit, I got a hot doctor to get a smoothie with me,” he grinned, looking over to Kakashi, who was picking up his bag to leave. 

Anyone else and Kakashi might be weary of Hanabi going on a date with them, given recent events. But Konohamaru was as harmless as they came. He was confident that he would do right by her. “Careful, surgeons are a weird fucking breed,” he headed out of the ring and towards the door, “Also, hurry and shower. You don’t want to keep her waiting.” But Kakashi stopped. He realized this was the perfect opportunity to ask Hanabi something, something he had meaning to talk to her or Hinata about for a while now. He groaned that he would have to wait for her to come out. All he wanted was to go home; Sakura was coming over tonight.

**

“Hey, so I tried to get out of it, but the night after the fight, there’s a big Halloween party, and I have to go. Want to come? The venue is putting it on for all the donors. I don’t know all the details. Genma’s making me.” It was a morning she could sleep in a little, so she had spent the night at his place with the promise of a homemade breakfast before her shift. 

“Yeah, sounds fun. Is it a costume party?” She asked, scrolling through her emails. 

Kakashi wasn’t sure. Hopefully not. 

“It is!” Genma walked out of his room, patting Sakura on the head, “Morning pinky. I was thinking of going as a firefighter, what do you think?”

Sakura giggled, “Uhh yeah, sure. Are you bringing a date?”

“You didn’t ask her,” he glared at Kakashi, who just turned around and focused on the bacon he was making. It had completely slipped his mind, “Is Dr. Kato single?” 

“Shizune?” She looked back at Kakashi, who was very purposefully ignoring the conversation. “Uh, I think so. She complains about how difficult trying to date is when you’re an attending, so I’m assuming, but usually, we just talk about heart valves.”

“Weird breed,” Kakashi echoed from a few days ago, “I keep telling you guys.”

“Who else did you tell?” Sakura asked.

Another thing that had slipped his mind, “When you and Hinata had to bail, I had Asuma’s nephew help us out so Hanabi could watch a move before trying it. After the lesson, he asked her out, and she said yes.” He did mean to tell Sakura and have her apologize to Hinata for him. Konohamaru was nice, but kind of annoying, or at least he used to be. He was a bit more tolerable now than he was as a kid. 

“That little brat got a girl like Hanabi? She’s too cute for him,” he groaned, “Okay, you need to set me up with Shizune now. I can’t be the only guy not dating a doctor.”

“Well, Asuma and Naruto aren’t,” Sakura pointed out. 

Genma shook his head, “Kurenai has a Ph.D., and Hinata is a nurse so close enough.”

“She might have mentioned you were cute when you came to pick up Kakashi forever ago. I’ll do what I can, okay?” 

Genma almost knocked her out of her chair. He hugged her aggressively, “Thank you, Sakura! Kakashi, your girlfriend, is the best!”

“I know,” he put out two plates of breakfast food on the table for both Genma and Sakura, going back to make his own. “But do I have to dress up?”

“Yes, you do! And aren’t you lucky you can do a cute couple costume with your girlfriend here,” Kakashi rolled his eyes, joining them at the table.

It was no surprise that Kakashi wasn’t big on costumes. She was sure he had like five things in his closet and then worked out clothes. “Here, do you trust me?” Sakura looked at him, grinning. 

“Well,” he took a sip from his coffee before continuing, “You have literally cut me open and removed an organ from me, so I’d say I trust you more than anyone else in my life.” Genma started to aw but stopped once Kakashi shot him a glare. 

“Let me bring you a costume. It won’t be bad, I swear.” 

She looked so excited; he had issues when it came to saying no to people he loved. Obito once got him to dye the school’s swimming pool purple because he thought it would impress her. “Fine,” he gave in with absolutely no fight, but then again, he didn’t put up a fight with Obito either. 

**  
One small women’s self-defense class, that’s all he agreed to, but now, here he was with Hinata, Hanabi, Naruto, Sakura, and Konohamaru, all waiting on instructions from him. They were all at entirely different levels, and he had realized it was kind of weird; they were all coupled up, they were just missing Asuma and Kurenai. Part of him missed the days where it was socially acceptable for him just to walk away. But Sakura would be mad, and he was a sucker. “Okay, well, this is supposed to be women’s self-defense, so I guess Naruto and Konohamaru, you guys will be the attackers,” he shook his head, “I guess it’s good that it’s one on one.” He saw Hanabi’s hand shoot up, “You don’t have to raise your hand, but what’s up?”

“I want to learn how to fight. Like you, can we do that instead?” The question surprised everyone but Kakashi. Sakura and Hinata were good at the self-defense stuff, but Hanabi loved it. “Yeah, I don’t see why not. Okay, change of plans, Naruto. I want you to help Hinata. She’s had to miss the most sessions, so she’s a little behind these two, so just help her with basic grabs, kicks, and punches. Konohamaru, you’re with us. And Sakura,” he looked at her and smiled, “your choice.”

Naruto and Hinata were already off in a corner; Naruto looked so excited to show Hinata how to punch and kick. He was a weird kid. “Well, as much as I’d love to third wheel that,” she looked over, “Maybe I’ll just watch you guys for a little bit.”

He nodded. Learning how to fight another person could be a bit intimidating, and he didn’t want to pressure her. Training Hanabi was a bit of a challenge initially, but he found himself having a lot of fun. She was a quick learner, and he found himself giving Konohamaru some pointers too. It was also a plus that they were ogling each other this time. He felt bad that Sakura was probably bored, but while Konohamaru and Hanabi took turns hitting bags, he got a few lessons for her. After an hour, though, he kicked everyone out, “Okay, I have an actual match in like a week, and I have to train. We’ll pick back up after I get back?” Everyone agreed and went to change and shower before leaving. Except for Sakura, who he asked to stay behind. “Are you going to be home tonight?”

“Yeah, but I have work at eight tomorrow morning. Why?” 

“So I have a sort of tradition before my big matches, want to help me?” She had her traditions before surgery; she was intrigued to know his. “I can’t have sex the week leading up, but it won’t be a week until tomorrow. I was thinking…” he trailed off, grabbing the waist of her leggings.

“Ah, well, I prefer my sex more spontaneous, but I’ll be home all night, come by anytime after four,” she kissed his very salty cheek, “don’t work too hard,” she waved. 

** 

God he was going to miss this, it was only a week but still. “You feel so good,” usually they were a bit more active and aggressive but unfortunately the week had caught up to them, If this wasn’t the last night he could have sex for a week he might have just fallen asleep but as long as she was down he was going to have a little fun. 

“Harder,” she winced after her request, her nails pressing into his back. She would miss it too, one great thing about having a boyfriend was really good sex after a shitty day. But then again, he didn’t say he couldn’t do anything to her. 

He pressed his lips against her nipple, tracing it slowly before biting, just hard enough for her to feel it. Once he felt her body react, he went in again sucking while grabbing the other one. His thrusts were slower and not as deep when he was like this but Sakura didn’t notice, not with how sensitive he was making her. Kakashi lifted his head, “Having fun princess?” Sakura nodded, “Good,” he kissed her, “I have a lot of things I’m planning on doing you tonight.”

“Be selfish,” she held both sides of his head, “Just tonight, you’ll have the whole week to make it up to me.”

He broke out of his dominate persona for a moment, “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” she started on his neck, “be selfish tonight, whatever you want. You can’t have sex the rest of the week but that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything for me, does it?”

This girl really would be the death of him, “Fuck,” he muttered. Kakashi slipped out of her and pulled away, only long enough though to flip Sakura over, “get on your knees,” his hands feeling up her ass and moving up her back as she lifted herself. He was getting old, there was a time where if his partner gave him an offer like that, he’d savor it for hours but shit he was tired. It wasn’t ideal how he finish so unceremoniously; he was going to have to get off his high horse about being the best lover ever, every single time. After he cleaned them both up he laid back down, already thinking of ways he could make it up to her later this week. 

“Sorry I didn’t bust out the whole cheerleader outfit, I was planning on doing something fun, but I got really absorbed in a paper about heart transplants.” She rested her head against his chest, “I hope I didn’t spoil you too much.” Pillow talk after was one of Sakura’s favorite things about sex; Kakashi was always so happy and relaxed after. It was nice. 

“Oh, you did,” he kissed the top of her head, “But it was still amazing. Also, I think it’s extremely sexy you get distracted by heart transplant articles.”

Sakura almost fell asleep like this. Using his chest as a pillow, one of his arms wrapped tightly around her; it was safe. But he needed to ask about next weekend before she forgot, “So what’s the plan for Naka?”

“Leave Thursday morning, have the afternoon and evening to ourselves, Friday night is the fight and Saturday is the party then on Sunday we can leave whenever. Did you want to visit your parents?” He didn’t know much about them besides the fact mom was a lot to deal with and was obsessed with Sakura getting married and having kids. 

That was a big question. She missed her dad, and in a way, her mother, but could she ask Kakashi to come with her? Were they there yet? Was she ready? “I don’t know,” an honest answer, “Should I?”

“Both my parents are dead, so I don’t think I’m the best person to give out advice for this sort of thing, but if you miss them and want to see them you should,” he hesitated, “I could- I could go with you if that’s what you want?”

Sakura sat up, “Really?” he nodded, “I mean, you can meet them, but my mom is… well she’s not going to like what you do for work, but she’s also going to be obsessed with talking about if we’re getting married and having kids. She is not a casual woman.”

He sat up next to her and put one hand on each of her arms, “Sakura, when I was an underground fighter, I hung around drug dealers, pimps, and hitmen. I’m not proud of it but what I’m saying is I can deal with a suburban mom.”

That was new information to her, but it made sense. She didn’t really know much about his underground days if she was honest. “Well, okay, we’ll have dinner with them Thursday night, then?”

“Sounds good,” he kissed her forehead. It had been a while since he had given her the comforting gesture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi loves being a teacher, we all know it :)   
> Also I think my favorite thing to do to Kakashi in fics is make him feel old lol idk I think it's funny. 
> 
> So I think I've started to draft the end of this story. Don't worry this story is drafted far in advance but yeah. Thanks for sticking with me guys. This story has had its ups and downs, especially compared to my other, very well planned out fic but it's been a great learning experience! Anywho my brain is mush go check out my other story if you haven't and leave a review, or just say hi. I've been locked in a room doing research the past week. I'm starved for human connection. Grad school is wild.


	19. Family Matters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah so my city is under a state of emergency because of the election and there are like three helicopters outside my house so here's a chapter!

“So, you’re a boxer?” Mebuki’s only shared appearance with Sakura seemed to be their green eyes 

Her dad chimed in, “No, he’s an MMA fighter. It’s different. I was actually planning on watching your fight with Zabuza tomorrow. Who knew you were my daughter’s boyfriend,” he chuckled to himself. 

In his head, this dinner was a lot less awkward. There was a tension in the air he didn’t quite understand. “Yeah, and thanks, it’ll be a good one. If I knew you were a fan, I would have gotten you tickets but maybe next time?”

“Can you support a family and kids as an MMA whatever?” Mebuki interjected before her husband could answer. 

The question, while jarring, wasn’t too unexpected given what Sakura had told him. He had decided just to appease her mom’s questions about marriage and kids but answering them as simply as possible. For example, he was about to say that yes, yes, he could but before he had the chance, Sakura stood up, her palms pressed against the table, “Mom! I told you to cut the marriage and baby stuff. This is why I don’t bring guys over.”

Mebuki scoffed while her husband just continued to eat quietly, “Sakura, it’s just a question. He’s a grown man and can answer them.”

A soft hand from him on her arm was enough to calm her and sit her back down. “If I did have a wife and kids, I could support them. I get pretty big paychecks for fights, but I also have sponsorship deals, I run a gym where people pay for memberships and classes, plus I’m having a friend of mine helping me with possibly investing.” Asuma specifically. Hopefully, this was a good enough answer for her. Kakashi did see a small smile form on Kizashi’s face, so there was that at least. 

“So once Sakura is a mother, you can provide for her. She shouldn’t go back to work until the children are in high school, at least,” she said, not skipping a beat. While the questions were certainly inappropriate for the first dinner, Kakashi did admire the woman’s boldness. 

“Dad!” Sakura shot Kizashi a look of both anger and desperation. She was surprised at how well her boyfriend was doing, but she also wanted to die. 

“Honey, we both knew this would happen. If you brought him here on some level, you knew he could handle it,” he continued eating, not even looking up from his plate. 

The response was funny enough that if he wasn’t also being interrogated, he might laugh. “If Sakura and I had kids, I would support her if she wanted to be a stay at home mother or if she wanted to continue her career. It’s her choice.” 

“Was your mother a stay at home or career,” she asked. Sakura threw her head down on the table. Arguing at this point had proven futile. 

His girlfriend was obviously defeated at this point. She didn’t know much about his mother except for the fact she was dead. But in fairness, he didn’t know much more than that, just a few stories he remembered his dad telling him. “Well,” he sighed. This wasn’t really appropriate dinner conversation, but neither was anything Sakura’s mother asked, “She died while giving birth to me, but she was a teacher and apparently loved it, so I think she would have gone back. Besides, my old man probably didn’t make enough to support all of us.”

Both Sakura and her father looked up, silently praying that Mebuki would shut up after hearing that. But of course, she didn’t, which Kakashi again found himself oddly respecting. “How did your dad support you after her death?”

“Odd jobs and such, he was a boxer, a real boxer but night though,” there was a bit of pride in his voice when he said it. 

“Was he a good father?” She continued to press. 

“Until his death.”

“How?”

“Suicide.” 

“Age?”

“Eight.” 

The exchange happened so fast Sakura had barely processed. She didn't know it was suicide. As much as she wanted to put a stop to it all, she felt herself froze, unsure of how to comfort him, or if he even needed it- his expression was so cold. Everyone could see Mebuki about to ask a follow-up question, almost with no hesitation. But before she could, Kizashi stood up, “As fun as this conversation is, I think we can bring out dessert now. Why do you help me, dear?” 

It wasn’t often that Sakura saw her father interrupt his wife. He knew who he married and, for the most part, let her be who she was. Every once in a while, though, she’d go too far without knowing, and he’d step in, and Mebuki knew that if he did, he did so with good reason. She silently walked to the kitchen, a bit of shame finally on her face. 

“I’m so sorry,” Sakura was close to tears, which made her feel guilty since she wasn’t the one who just got interrogated about the suicide of a parent. 

“Hey,” he gave her a soft smile and brushed her cheek, “It’s okay, seriously. I told you I’ve dealt with much worse. Although your mom could give some drug dealers, I’ve met a run for their money. She’s fucking ruthless.” In all honesty, he was okay. It was all very off-putting the conversation, but he had gotten over his father’s death years ago. He had too. 

That was enough to get a little laugh from her. She was pretty ruthless. “I didn’t know about your dad. I’m sorry,” her voice got quieter, and her eye contact broke. Those were the only words she could think of in response to the information.

“Cry for me later, princess,” he kissed her forehead, “I have to fake my way through actually liking dessert.” The rest of the night was much more pleasant. Mebuki gave an apology of sorts when they came back out that Kakashi, of course, accepted, and the event was apparently enough to stop the topic of marriage and children. Instead, they discussed Sakura’s interest in heart surgery, Kizashi asked Kakashi a bunch of questions about his fights, and even Mebuki chimed in when Kakashi said his favorite food was eggplant, saying she would make an eggplant dish that would blow his mind if he came for dinner again. Which, of course, he was happy to do.

They finally got out of there. To Sakura’s relief, she knew the dinner was going to be intense, but that was a whole roller coaster of emotions. “Fuck I need a drink,” she got in the car, “Want to go back to the hotel bar and grab one?”

“I don’t drink the night before matches, but I’ll go with you. Actually,” he pulled out his phone and sent a text, “You're going to meet my family.”

“I didn’t know you had family here,” They spoke on the drive home. 

“Well, technically, I don’t have any family anywhere, but he’s as close as it is. I was going to have you meet him tomorrow, but hey, no time like the present,” luckily the hotel wasn’t too far from her parents. It was nicer than where we usually stayed for matches, but the organizers did sink a lot of money into this event. “Okay, he said he’ll be here in thirty,” he pulled into the parking lot, and the two-headed in, “But I warn you, he’s loud, high energy and extremely positive.”

The bar was in the lobby. It was minimalist and sleek and not too crowded considering it was Halloween weekend on a Friday. But there were probably better bars to drink at tonight. Besides a few tiny pumpkins on the tables, they weren’t really in the Halloween spirit. “Well, I can deal with Naruto, so I should be able to handle…” she fished for his name. 

“Guy. And the reason I get along with Naruto so well is because he’s nowhere as energetic as him,” He smirked. Dinner with her parents had been a lot, and part of him felt like he deserved just a little bit of retribution. But Guy was cool and wouldn’t interrogate her about childhood trauma. 

Sakura’s eyes widen as she sat down, “One gin and tonic, please,” she asked the bartender, “more energetic than Naruto, huh? I’m surprised that’s who you consider family. How long have you known him?”

He ordered himself water, “Almost my whole life. Our dads were good friends. They also died at similar times, brings people together, you know?”

“Every time you tell me about your life, it’s incredibly sad, you know that?” The comment was crasser than she intended, she had a couple of glasses of wine at her parent’s, and it was hitting her a little more than she thought. 

While waiting for him to be confused or even upset, she was surprised that he started laughing, more than she had ever heard from him before. “Your right. I’m sorry. Also, don’t be mad, but you sounded like your mother just then.”

Sakura quickly covered her mouth, Slowly she brought her hands down, “shut up, I do not.”

“You do, but don’t worry, I like your mom. She’s intense, but she knows what she wants and doesn’t bullshit about it. I like it.” he pressed his lips to her, “their qualities I see in you that I like, but you have a bit more tact.”

“Yeah. She drives me crazy, but I know deep down she does it because she cares about me in a weird kind of twisted way. I do wish I took her up on learning how to cook, though. I’m pretty bad at it,” she took a sip of her drink. 

Kakashi started to nod in agreement but stopped when he came to a realization, “I’ve never had your cooking. Will you make me dinner when we get back?”

“You don’t want that. It’s just going to be boxed mac and cheese and pizza rolls,” once Ino had gotten her cooking lessons for her birthday, it was the only class she had ever failed. 

“I’ll take it,” he leaned in about to give her a more intimate kiss but was painfully interrupted by a booming voice coming from the hotel entrance. Just inches from her lips, he smiled and whispered, “get ready.”

“Kakashi, my eternal rival!” Sakura saw a man with a bowl cut in a long-sleeve green shirt and green cargo pants run-up at nearly full speed, tackling her boyfriend out of his seat. The tackle had sent them both flying, and they ended up both on their back laughing. It all happened so fast Sakura didn’t have time to process it. The bartender asked them to get up and sit down, so all three of them moved to a table. “So this must be Sakura! I’m so proud of you Kakashi, you’ve found your youth! I hope you’re keeping my friend out of trouble. He can be quite the downer when he wants to be.”

This man was unlike any Sakura had ever met. Kakashi was right. He was much more intense than Naruto. “It’s nice to meet you, Guy and I do my best, but he’s not too much of a downer,” she wasn’t even going to ask what he meant by youth. She realized that she had actually seen Guy before, that first match she had watched on that shitty date, he was the opponent, “So you’re an MMA fighter too?”

“That’s right!” Even his gestures were big as he pointed his thumb towards himself. “After this fight, will you have time to spar? Last time you won, and we can’t have that now can we,” Guy leaned into the table and narrowed his eyes at Kakashi. It would have been intimidating if he didn’t also have a goofy smile on his face. 

Kakashi matched him, “Can’t. Got to get the lady home for work, but next time you're in Konoha for sure.” He put his elbow on the table, his hand open. Guy grabbed it, and they proceeded to arm wrestle. It lasted for a while, seeming pretty evenly matched, but finally, Sakura noticed the strain on Kakashi’s arm, and it gave out, Guy shouting after and the bartender shushing him. 

It was cute to see Kakashi act like a dumb boy. He was usually so reserved. Guy seemed to really bring it out of him. “So tell me about yourself, Sakura,” Guy turned his attention back towards her, “I know you’re a surgeon, but what follies of youth do you partake in?”

“He means what are your hobbies?” Kakashi whispered to her. He had become quite fluent in Guy-isms. 

“Ah, well, I’m pretty busy with work, and usually, I’m reading research papers in my free time but Kakashi’s been teaching me and some friends how to fight, which has been a lot of fun.” The last time was a bit boring for her, but they had all been really great before that. It was good to see Hanabi take a real interest, though. Surgeons needed an outlet. Sakura’s was shitty medical dramas. 

“Amazing! I’ll have to teach you a thing or two sometime!” Guy glanced over at the time, “I can’t stay long, I have to be at the venue for your fight at five tomorrow, but it was nice to meet you, Sakura!” He got up, “Kakashi, walk me to my car. I have some paperwork for you to sign and some gifts from the venue. It’ll only take a moment.”

“Okay, you good here?” He looked at Sakura, who was still working on her drink. She nodded, so the two walked out. 

There was an unusual silence until they reached the entrance of the hotel. Unusual, because Guy was never silenced, but once they were out of earshot of Sakura, he spoke, in a calmer tone which Kakashi knew meant he was serious. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you so happy. It took some time, but I’m glad you opened yourself up again.”

“You’ve always been a corny one, Guy, but she does make me happy. I’ll be honest I never thought I'd have a real relationship again, not after Rin, Obito, and Hanare.” Besides Sakura, Guy was the only person who knew about both girls and his slightly complicated relationship with Obito. “But ever since I saw her...” he shook his head, “I love her, that’s all.”

Before Kakashi could react, he felt Guy squeeze the living shit out of him. “I’m so happy for you,” tears started to fall, but they did easily for Guy. He really did attract criers, “I thought you’d never find true love.”

Kakashi rolled his eyes. They were at Guy’s car, “Have a little faith in me, Guy.” Kakashi signed the papers, and Guy handed him a bag of sponsorship swag. He hated this shit. It just cluttered his apartment because Genma loved it. Heading back to the bar, Sakura stood up, her drink finished, and she grabbed his arm, and they took the elevator to the room. 

“Take a bath with me,” she started running the water in the large jacuzzi bath. Once it was filling, she took off her pants and shirt, leaving her in her underwear, checking the water’s temperature with her hand. 

“Sakura,” he hummed, standing behind her and kissing his shoulder, “I told you I couldn’t have sex before a match.”

She undid her bra and slipped off her panties, sitting in the tub as it continued to fill up. “We’re not going to have sex. Just get in with me. It’s good for relaxing your muscles. You’ve been training so hard lately.”

Very dangerous, but sitting in some warm water with his naked girlfriend did sound nice. “Alright, but I’m watching you, missy,” he stripped down and joined her. Both their tubs back home were much too small for this, but if they did ever get a place together, he noted they’d have to find one big enough for this. He was sitting behind her, his legs on either side of her body, his arms wrapped around her waist, “You’re so beautiful,” sure the situation was hot. His dick was pressed up against her ass, but it was also sweet and intimate, so he decided to be good. 

She did not, though. Wiggling her hips just enough make him harder, “Kakashi,” her arms wrapped behind her around his neck, “play with me.” With her arms up, her whole body was exposed. It was very intentional on Sakura’s part. She had a plan. 

“I told you, little miss,” his hands trailed down lower, “We’re not having sex.” She was trying to kill him. All he would have to do is lift her up and back down on him. It wouldn’t be hard. “But if I were to play with you, what would you want?” the tips of his fingers trailed down her stomach. 

“Finger me,” she craned her neck enough to kiss the bottom of his chin. While he generally liked to be the dominant one, he enjoyed seeing Sakura so demanding. It was hot. So he did what she asked, slowly slipping in one finger than the next. With his other hand, he teased her nipples, pinching them lightly. Trying to placate himself, he took out his aggression, biting her neck at each of her moans. 

It was different. Kakashi was in the position of power. If he wanted to, he could be the dominant one, deciding when and if she came, but that didn’t feel right. Tonight he was under her spell. His only purpose was to make her feel good. However, she saw fit. Sakura leaned forward and grabbed the detachable shower head that Kakashi finally realized was conveniently on the side of the tub, almost like someone intentionally put it within arm’s length. She turned it on, lowering it into the tub. Kakashi could feel the jets just about his fingers. 

Her moans got louder with the inclusion of the showerhead, “faster,” she ordered, and of course, Kakashi complied. She could feel his dick throb against her back. And wanted it inside of her so bad, but too far along in her plan to stop. “Ka-” she started to say his name but was interrupted by a wave of pleasure. She shut off the water from the shower before melting into her boyfriend’s chest. 

“You enjoy yourself, princess?” He pressed his lips to the top of her head. 

“Yeah,” she turned on her side to nuzzle him, “Did you?”

“Well, you could feel my cock the whole time, you tell me,” even now, her closeness was making him twitch. He’d sell his soul to fuck her right now. 

“Good,” she stood up and grabbed a towel, “your welcome,” she walked out of the bathroom and started to put on her pajamas. 

Kakashi got out and followed, only wearing a towel, “Excuse me? Shouldn’t I be saying that?” He did just make her come with nothing in return. 

Her pajamas were sweatpants and an oversized long sleeve, much to Kakashi’s dismay. He liked her usually skimpy shorts much more. “Nope! You don’t have sex a week before a match because it makes you more aggressive, right?” Kakashi cautiously agreed, “So I made you super horny the night before a big fight,” she put her hair up and got into bed, “Your testosterone is raging now.”

“You’re cruel,” he jumped on the bed, pinning himself on top, his towel falling off. “You’re creating more trouble for yourself later,” he started kissing her, they were deep and interlocking, but eventually Sakura shook him off. “Go to sleep Kakashi, you have to be up early,” he looked disappointed because he knew she was right, “But tomorrow I have a little surprise for you.” 

“You’re lucky you're so cute,” he rolled on his back. “I think I’m going to take a shower.”

“I don’t think there’s any hot water left,” she turned around, but he was already getting up. 

“That’s kind of the point,” as he went back into the bathroom, she drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fun one to write :) Everyone stay safe! Especially if you live in the U..S.


	20. Rough Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER SHOULD BE BETWEEN 13 AND 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY SO I FUCKED UP GUYS!   
> At the end of chapter 13 (New Beginnings), Hanabi is at the police station, right? Well the next chapter was supposed to be what happened to her and the chain of events that it sets off but I fucked up and skipped it. Every chapter is written weeks before I actually post it and it gets edited right before posting but someone this slipped through the cracks. So let's call this chapter 13.5

Ever since he started seeing Sakura, Kakashi’s life had gotten much more exciting for better or worse. He sat in the police station, a place he avoided like the plague not too many years ago, waiting for Sakura to come out with Hanabi. About forty minutes into the wait, Kurenai called to give her approval. Kakashi tried not to let on how their night had ended, but she was perceptive, and he was exhausted, so he spilled. While he was annoyed, he had to explain everything to her. She did have a good suggestion, offering Hanabi free self-defense at the gym. Kurenai taught it and would start next month as her leave ended.   
Finally, another half-hour later, the two girls came out. Sakura had ditched her heels, holding them in one hand opting just to be barefoot. Her outfit was short and tight. Next to her was Hanabi. It looked like she had been at a nightclub. But he noticed a rip at the neckline. Internally he sneered at the officer. No one had given this poor girl something to cover up with, not a blanket or hoodie. “Here,” Kakashi took his suit jacket off and wrapped it around Hanabi. She took it silently, grabbing the lapels of it tightly, “Ready to go?” he looked at Sakura, she nodded.   
Sakura took the back next to Hanabi, “I just texted you Hinata’s address. She just got home.” Kakashi put it in his GPS. He figured silence would be the best route for this ride. Luckily it wasn’t too far away, and Kakashi was able to park right out front, “I’m just going to bring Hanabi in. Is that okay?” Kakashi nodded. He was just glad he could be useful.   
As Hanabi stepped out of the car, she went to Kakashi’s window. He rolled it down and saw the rings of black makeup under her eyes and her disheveled hair. He had avoided putting too much attention on her at the station, figuring the last thing she would want was a man looking at her too long, but her appearance broke his heart. “Thank you,” she handed the jacket back.  
The tears started to swell up in her eyes, “Yeah, just take care of yourself, kid.” Those were the only words he could find to comfort her. Sakura waited patiently for the exchange before guiding her up the stairs where Hinata waited, pulling her in tightly into a hug. Sakura came back and sat in the front, pressing her hands into her face and leaned forward, “You okay?” Kakashi asked, placing his hand on her back.   
“Yeah,” she sighed, sitting back up, “That was just intense.”  
“Anything I can do?” She did look distressed. He couldn’t have imagined how stressful that room must have been when they parted ways at the station.   
“Can I-” she paused, “Can I hang out with you a little longer? My adrenaline is pumping, and after hearing what that asshole did, or tried to do-”  
There was some relief when he heard “tried” he didn’t want to ask, but it was hard not to assume the worst. “Say no more,” Kakashi knew what she was feeling. He was no stranger to anger. If he could spare her from going through it alone, he would. He drove them to his place, “I have the perfect thing for you,” he said, opening the door.  
“What do you mean?” She asked, setting her heels on the floor.   
“Jesus, you two look like shit,” Genma looked over from the couch.   
He wasn’t wrong, they both looked exhausted and sad, but hours in a police station will do that to you. “Genma not tonight,” Kakashi shot him a death glare. Genma knew that look all too well and went back to watching a show. “Come on,” he grabbed her hand and took her to his room. Pakkun was lying in bed but stood up once Kakashi stepped in, “Hey boy,” he patted him behind his ear, “take care of Sakura here, okay? She had a rough night. I’m going to get you something more comfortable to wear.”  
“Thanks,” she wasn’t going to ask, but she just wanted out of this dress. Sitting at the edge of the bed, Pakkun, as if able to read her mind, walked onto her lap and sat patiently, eyes bright at her. She started petting him, and he nuzzled his head against her chest. Kakashi was right. This was what she needs. “Hey, Kakashi,” she looked up at him as he came out of the closet when a large shirt and shorts, “I hate to ask, you’ve done so much already, but would you mind if I took a shower? I feel gross.” She had walked around the police station with no shoes for almost two hours.   
He set clothes down next to her bed and leaned over, pressing his lips to her forehead, much like he had the night at the bar. “Not as much as you did, Sakura. You helped Hanabi a lot tonight. You take care of yourself now,” his hand moved on top of the one she was using to pet Pakkun, “Towels are in the bathroom. Would you like to sleep here with me tonight?”  
For so many reasons, she wanted to say yes. She was tired, and both Pakkun and Kakashi made her feel so much better after the shitty night, “Only if it’s okay with you.”  
“Yeah, of course,” he smiled, “You’re always welcomed here, Sakura-chan.” He didn’t want to say anything, but he was also so done driving. He walked her to the shower and placed the clothes on the sink. “I’ll be out here when you’re done,” he leaned in closer and whispered, “I’ll make Genma go to his room too.” She silently thanked  
Once Sakura was in the bathroom and heard the shower turn on, he felt like he could relax, at least just a little bit, “So,” Genma chimed in, still puzzled by the situation, “You gonna tell me what’s going on or no?”  
“Seriously, Genma, not tonight, I’ll tell you in the morning. Tonight was a fucking headache,” He sat down on the couch, undoing his tie and unbuttoning his shirt, “Could you go to your room? I think Sakura would appreciate it. She’s had it rougher than me.”  
“Oh come on, Kurenai isn’t that bad,” he joked, and while Kakashi was never big on jokes, he didn’t even look annoyed, just exhausted. “Kurenai and Asuma got home hours ago,” he had been watching Mirai, “I figured you two just went to her place or something.”  
There was a groan before Kakashi decided just to tell him, “we got a call on the way home. Long story short, some guy tried to assault Hanabi, Sakura’s intern, and she didn’t want to go to the hospital since she works there, so Sakura had to go in and examine her before they let her go. We just got back from dropping her off at her sister’s.”  
“Shit,” the intern was so young and kind of a dork. It made him sick to think some guy tried to do that to her, “Why didn’t her sister go to the station?”  
“Tomorrow,” his hands were covering his face, “Can you just go to your room? I just wanted the night to be over.” Without another word, Genma got up and left. Sakura got out, his baggy sweats and shirt hiding any sense of a figure. She appreciated the privacy as she stepped out, the night had been horrible, and the conversation was the last thing she wanted to have. Kakashi sent her to bed and told her he’d join her after he showered. After stepping into the bathroom, he realized he forgot to grab clothes for himself, so he went back to his room to grab them only to find Sakura already passed out.   
**  
It was good to be back, he felt weak, but by October, it would be like nothing changed. Every hit on the bag felt like a release. All the frustration and pent up emotions he had the past six weeks were finally starting to melt away, except for one. “Okay, so you offered Hanabi free lessons here?” Genma held the bag absorbing the shock of each punch, offering more resistance to make Kakashi work harder.   
“That’s what I said,” he took his last few hits. “It sucks she’ll have to wait two months until Kurenai can come back, but it can’t be helped,” he unwrapped his hands and grabbed his water bottle.   
Once Tsunade cleared him, he left the hospital, but since he and Sakura went together, he also agreed to pick her up once her shift was over at 5 am. He told himself and her no big deal when she offered just to get a cab. He was already an early riser. “So, how’s your girlfriend holding up?” Genma took a few punches at the bag to warm up himself.   
“She’s not my girlfriend,” he glared. This was a conversation he didn’t even want to have with Sakura right now, let alone Genma. It wasn’t that he didn’t like her. Again, he was pretty sure he was in love, but relationships had never been anything but terrible for him. Maybe he was cursed, it would be fine if the bad things happened to him, but they didn’t. He would hate himself if anything bad happened to Sakura. But then again, he was still sleeping with her, going on dates, meeting each other’s friends. The line was just getting more blurred. “She seemed fine this morning and went to work.”  
Genma started snickering, “Oh man, you are in some serious denial. That girl is your girlfriend, my friend. Trust me, I get not putting a label on it, but don’t pretend it’s casual between you two. Come on, when’s the next time you’re going to see her?”   
“5 am,” he grumbled, his voice low. There was no reason to tell him, he could have stayed quiet, but he was finding the more he talked about her, the more the pieces of the puzzle were coming together of what was going on in his life.   
“Seriously?” Genma shook his head, “Damn it, Kakashi, you're so whipped. I thought you would have grown out of this by now.”  
“Shut up and fight me,” Kakashi got up and retaped his hands, “I’m looking forward to punching you.   
**  
Genma was right; it wasn’t casual. For their relationship, or whatever it was, being so short, they had gone through a lot together. She was literally inside him, cutting him open and removing an organ. They talked about all the heartbreak they had felt and how it changed them, the sex was amazing and super hot, and now they had taken care of a girl who was assaulted together. It had been maybe two months? In a few weeks, they were going to a fucking wedding too. “The red scrubs are my favorite,” she seemed relatively spry for someone who got off of work at the most unreasonable hour he could think of. But she seemed distracted, tense even. The scrubs comment was the first thing he could think of to lighten the mood, “You look cute in them,” it was strange she didn’t change before leaving.   
“Thanks,” she grinned, “sorry if I’m out of it. With the whole Hanabi thing and I just had to tell a teenage girl she couldn’t start college this fall because I have to take her kidneys out, and she can’t heal up in a dorm by herself on the other side of the country,” she sighed. “As much as I love my job sometimes, I hate it too,” she cocked her head back. It was nice, though; usually, when work got upsetting, she’d drown herself in trashy tv and junk food until she went numb. But having Kakashi to vent to was nice. He was nice.   
“That sucks. I’m sorry. You okay?” He pulled into her building.   
“Meh,” she should have lied, but she was too tired to, “I will be tough. I’m going to watch some shitty tv and maybe fall asleep in a couple of hours.”  
“Well,” he turned off the car, “I’m free until 8. Want some company?”   
“Sure,” she smiled. They walked up the stairs into the apartment. Sakura went to rinse off, bringing a pair of pajamas with her. Kakashi noticed it was a pair of those small shorts, suspicious that she always put those on whenever he was around.   
“So, what are we watching?” He asked when she walked in.  
Sakura went and laid next to him, grabbing the remote before laying her head on his chest, “Grey’s Anatomy, and I’m going to tell you everything wrong with it.” She looked up to his face. He looked puzzled, “I hate Grey’s Anatomy, but it’s like an addiction. The show is an overdramatic mess, and it cracks me up how glamorous it makes being a surgeon.”  
“Don’t they all just sleep with each other? Like is it just orgy hospital?” He remembered Kurenai talking about it once at dinner to Genma, who watched a season because “the blonde one was hot.”   
“Yeah, but there’s also a shooting in the hospital, a plane crash with like six of the main characters, someone puts a bomb in a guy's chest, and they find it during surgery. Also, the doctors don’t just leave because they got transferred or just move; they die, so many main characters just die.” She knew she wasn’t doing the show justice on how wild it could get, but it would have to do.   
“Alright, I’m slightly more intrigued. Put it on,” he wrapped her arm around her, pulling her closer to him. Never in a million years did he think he’d pick a girl up at 5 am in the fucking morning just to watch Grey’s Anatomy. Somewhere Rin and Obito were having a laughing fit watching him. But it also hit him that there was no place he’d rather be. 

~~~

A week had passed since the Hanabi incident. That’s what Kakashi called it in his head, at least. He had told Sakura to pass along the offer for the self-defense class if she thought it would be something Hanabi would be interested in. Another week went by before he heard a response. Hanging out in hospitals wasn’t really his idea of a good time, but Sakura was there. He brought them lunch because she had been complaining about the cafeteria options. Out of curiosity, he tried it a couple of days ago and had to agree. It was pretty shitty food. Originally the plan was to meet her in his car, but he thought it would be more romantic to meet her and walk her out. It probably wasn’t romantic, but he was at a loss for what was, so this would have to do. “Mr. Hatake,” he heard a shy voice behind him while he waited in the lobby. “Are you waiting for Dr. Haruno?”  
He turned around, there she was, Hanabi. Before she was so confident, even when Sakura was scolding her or flustered by seeing him shirtless, she seemed to pick herself back up. But even just saying hello, now she spoke like a scared little kid. “Yeah. How are you doing, kid?” He hated everything about this interaction. He hated that this poor girl had to go through that. He hated that they both knew he knew, and he hated that he had no idea how to deal with this situation.   
“I’m okay, glad to be back at work. Can I ask you something?” he nodded. “Dr. Haruno told me about your offer. Will you be the one teaching me?”  
“Oh no, I’m not really a teacher. A woman named Kurenai teaches self-defense, but she had a c-section three months ago, and it was pretty intense, so she’s only now getting back into the gym. She doesn’t think she’ll be ready to teach for another two months.”  
“Oh,” her voice fell off. He could see her lip quiver. Fuck. “Two months?”  
Making accommodations was never something Kakashi practiced. The world never bent for him, so why should he bend it for someone else. But she was scared and shaky. Two months was a long time to feel like that. Also, he wasn’t sure if he could deal with crying right now, “Look, let me talk to Kurenai and see what I can do, okay? I’ll get you in sooner.”It would be a headache figuring out, not because it was difficult but because Kurenai would see him taking an interest. She tended to go overboard whenever he did, something about how attachments are an essential part of the human experience, and he avoided them. Fucking philosophers.   
“Really?” Her eyes lit up, which did make him happy to see.   
“Hey, what are you doing here? I thought we were meeting at your car.” She looked over at Hanabi, who was looking at Kakashi very hopefully, “So what’s up?”   
“Hanabi is going to come to the gym for lessons. But I have to work something out with Kurenai,” he stood up and hugged Sakura, “Tell you about it later, but I’ve got pizza getting cold in the car.” He didn’t mind Hanabi, but there was a part of him that just wanted to get out of that situation, it was so uncomfortable, but he couldn’t place why. “I’ll get back to you in a couple of days,” he put his arm around Sakura’s shoulders and made his way to the parking lot, “See you around.”  
“Thank you, Mr. Hatake,” her hands clasped together, “Have a good lunch break, Dr. Haruno.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So can I retroactively add this chapter between 13 and 14 or nah? 
> 
> Again so sorry is chapter 14 was confusing


	21. Gift Giving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up, I lowkey restructured this whole story and it took me a while to work out the kinks

***

Mornin’ Beautiful,

Sorry, I have to ditch you for the day. I have some stuff to do before the match. Guy said he’d pick you up at five, so just be outside then. Unlike me, he’s always on time. There’s a spa in the hotel that apparently is really nice. You should go; you deserve it. My card is on file, so consider it a gift. 

See you tonight- 

Kakashi

***

He really did like his notes. It was ten. She loved being able to sleep in like this. Tsunade liked to torture her with early morning shifts. Spas weren’t really her thing, but she could give it a try if it was a gift. There was a fancy restaurant downstairs with a nice breakfast, but she felt a little hungover after last night. She used to be so good at holding her liquor; maybe she was getting old. Then again, Tsunade was way older and made it work. 

After breakfast, she decided to clean herself up to look somewhat presentable and made her way down to the spa. The receptionist asked what she wanted, and looking at the board; she had no idea what to pick. Luckily the receptionist realized and suggested some treatments. Ino was right. A spa day could undo years of stress in a couple of hours; she should have had one years ago. 

It was also exactly what she needed after dinner last night; she almost forgot her mother asked her boyfriend, the first time she met him how old he was when his father killed himself. Her mother was, if nothing, straight forward. On her way out, the receptionist stopped her, “Excuse me, miss, I was supposed to hand you this before you left.”

The bag was gold with tissue paper coming out of it and a card sticking out of it. Jesus, how early did Kakashi wake up? “Thank you,” she took the bag somewhat cautiously and headed back to the room to open it. The card did make her laugh. It was a black background with a heart, but not a regular valentinequse heart, an actual organ heart. Inside he wrote:

I swear this is the last note. I just probably won’t be able to look at my phone until after the match today. Don’t be mad, but I got you two more gifts, and before you say anything, I got the check for the match a couple of days ago. It was way more than I expected, and I’ll get even more if I win, so I splurged a little. I’ve never had both money and a girlfriend at the same time, so that I might be going overboard, but you’re worth it. I told you I loved you at the wedding, and I meant it. I haven’t said it since because I didn’t want to pressure you into saying it until you were ready, but if I could be a little selfish, I love you.

Kakashi

P.S. Hanabi helped me with one of the gifts, guess which one.

Sakura rolled her eyes, he was maybe a little too excited at the extra money, but she probably would be too. There were two boxes, one big and one small, so she opened the big one first. It was a stethoscope, a nice one. Hers was fine. It was the cheapest one she could find that still did the job. Most doctors splurged on a nice one their first year of interning, but that had never really been Sakura’s style. Splurging on herself made her stomach hurt. The tubing was a dark maroon, and on the bell was an embossed S. It was gorgeous, almost too nice to use, but she also couldn’t wait to use it. 

Then there was the second present. He had already spent too much on the first; she knew how much those went for. They were going to have a nice long talk about fiscal responsibility after tonight. The second box was about the size of her hand. She felt an uncomfortable pit in her stomach at the thought of him giving her expensive jewelry or something along those lines. The spa and stethoscope were already too much. But to her relief, it was just a picture frame, in it, a photo of Sakura tucked into his neck at Shikamaru’s wedding. She could live with this one. 

The next few hours she spent getting ready, she would be sitting in the VIP section with Guy and Genma, who were already there. Kakashi had told her to dress nice, but she didn’t need to go all out or anything. So she opted for black pants, boots, a blouse, and a wool coat; she also brought a large purse and put her stethoscope in. She would find some excuse to use it. Finally, it was time to meet Guy. The ride over was fun, albeit loud. 

“Hey Guy, am I going to be able to see Kakashi before the match starts?” Sakura asked as they approached the venue. 

“I’m sure I can arrange that!” Guy was so nice, but his personality was going to take some getting used to, “Can’t keep you two lovebirds apart now, can we!” If he were anyone else, she would have swatted him, but it lacked the teasing tone that someone else would probably have. “Can I ask you something?” he became a little more serious. 

“Yeah, what’s up?” the shift was a little alarming. 

Guy huffed as he pulled into a parking spot, “Is Kakashi doing okay? He tends to get a little self-destructive, and I worry.”

“Well, I think he’s okay. Do you think he’s not?” sure, he could be a bit grumpy, and with Genma, a little short-tempered but self-destructive was never something she saw from him. It seems there are still things she has to learn.

“Hmm,” Guy was thinking out loud, opening his door then going around to open hers, “No, I think he’s fine. He’s just not one to open up. I’m probably the only person still alive who's seen him cry or have a panic attack, and it was only really by chance.”

“Panic attacks?” Sure everyone cried, even if Kakashi seemed like the kind of guy who never did, but she hadn’t realized he had issues with anxiety. 

“I’m sorry, today is supposed to be fun!” He stuck out his thumb to absolutely no one, “I just worry about the kid, is all. He’s a rough lot in life.”

That was an understatement and funny how the only two boyfriends in her life both had a tragic past with multiple deaths of loved ones. But that was something to mull over later, “Yeah, I get it. I think he’s doing fine, but I’ll keep an eye out and let you know.”

With that, the full force of Guy’s personality shined through again, “Excellent! Now let’s go stop by the locker room, and then we’ll head up to the VIP box!” He grabbed her hand, dragging her to the locker room where Genma and Kakashi were waiting. 

“You look cute,” Kakashi went over and hugged her. He was in his boxing shorts, a robe over him but open and thin. “Did you have a good day?” He grinned, wanting to know how his gifts went over. 

Sakura glared, pulling out of the hug, “We’re going to have a serious talk about your spending habits.”

“OOOOOO,” Genma just liked to annoy his friends, “Kakashi’s in trouble!”

“Shut up,” he looked back, tired after spending all day putting up with him. It had been a very stressful morning for both of them. “But you did like them, right?” There was some concern in his voice. 

“Yes, I love them,” she leaned in for a kiss. As she let him go, a woman walked in to tell the group the match would start any second. 

Kakashi kissed her again, “Okay, I’ll see you afterward. Guy and Genma will go up to the VIP booth with you.” He turned around to follow the woman out. 

“Wait,” she grabbed his hand as he turned, “I love you.”

The whole room stopped as Genma and Guy, for once, were both speechless and just looked at each other wide-eyed. “Oh,” Kakashi blinked, “I love you too.”

“I know, now go,” she shooed and watched her boyfriend walk away. Hopefully, she didn’t throw him off his game too much but something about that moment felt right to her, and that was all she needed. 

“The spring of youth! Young love!” Guy mused on their way up to the booth, “My Kakashi has found the girl of his dreams.”

Genma shook his head, “Will you chill? She said ‘I love you’ it wasn’t some Shakespearean declaration. Sorry about him, doc. Also, sorry about my boy telling you at that damn wedding you guys went to, he’s a sappy romantic at his core.”

Guy’s bravado started to grow on Sakura; she found it funny that someone could talk about Kakashi like he did. “Oh, I figured it out,” she rolled her eyes, “but it’s not a big deal.” It kind of was, but she wasn’t about to talk to them about her feelings on love, especially at her boyfriend’s fight. 

The booth was nicer than she anticipated; actually, the whole venue was. Genma introduced her to a few people in suits who were important, but she wasn’t sure why. Finally, the fight started. His opponent was a little taller and a little bigger than Kakashi but not too much, which relaxed her for a moment until they started throwing punches. Going in, she knew watching her boyfriend get punched multiple times would be uncomfortable, but it was so much worse than she thought. The shots to his head made her wince, but she had to look away when one hit drew blood. 

No one had noticed her reactions as they were all transfixed at the display, but Genma knew to look; he had thought about it days ago that Kakashi’s doctor girlfriend might not like what she saw. “Hey,” he kneeled next to her seat, “Trust me, it’s not as bad as it looks, and I’ve seen him in much worse shape than this. Want to take a breather outside with me, though?”

It was a tempting offer, but she did love him, and he loved to fight, so she was going to support it, even if she disagreed with it. “No, I’m okay,” she slowly turned her head back towards the window, “But thank you.”

“Yeah, no problem,” he patted her head, “Anything I can do or say to make it a little better?” He asked, assuming there wasn’t, but he had to try. It couldn't be fun watching someone you love in this position.

“Actually,” she almost said no, “are there medics who check and stitch him up after?”

“Yeah,” of course, it was a medical question, “They’re all trained really well; he’ll be in good hands.”

“He will because I’ll be doing it. I’m much more trained than any medic to give stitches,” she declared, not skipping a beat. 

Genma was a bit taken aback by the request, but she was probably right, “Okay, I’ll work it out and leave you a medic pack.”

While the rest of the fight was still difficult to watch, Sakura took some solace in the fact that she would be making sure he was okay after. Towards the end, she got into it a little more, realizing he was winning. Quickly after that, it was over, and all the reservations she had about him continuing his career vanished as she saw the look on his face of pure joy and pride, feeding the crowd’s energy with his own. It made her happy to see him like that- even if he got the shit beat out of him to get there. 

“I’m so proud of you!” Sakura grabbed his neck, meeting him back in the locker room. She could smell the sweat and dried blood on him, but she didn’t care. She was just glad he could hug her back with the same strength as always. 

This was new, but he liked it. Having someone he loved hug him, tell him they're proud of him after winning a match, especially one this big. Usually, after a fight, he’s all worked up from adrenaline, and it takes him a while to calm down but seeing her slowed down his heart rate considerably, and all he wanted to do was lie in a bed with her. “Thank you,” he hugged her back, careful not to get any blood on her, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he pulled back, “now sit down.”

“Your girlfriend strong-armed me into being your medic. I was too weak to say no,” Genma shrugged at the confused look on his face at the command. 

Sakura scoffed, “I did not. I asked very nicely. But if you had said no, I would have. Now sit,” the medic who was going to do the check-up handed her the kit. Kakashi was too tired to argue or ask questions, so he sat, staring down Genma until he left and took everyone else in the room with him. “This is going to sting,” she took an alcohol wipe and wiped off the cut on his forehead. It was deep, but luckily it was the only bad wound. The rest were just bruises, although she would have to do a physical after addressing the cut. 

His eye twitched at the sting, but he was used to it. “I love you,” he said again as she prepared the zip stitches. Luckily she could get away with them instead of a needle and thread. 

“God, do you have a concussion or something? I mean, I love you too, but you just said it,” she started placing them, causing him to wince a few times. 

“No, I don’t think so. I just have some time to make up for. Also, I haven’t seen you all day,” he grabbed her waist after she placed the last stitch, “I missed you.”

Sakura ran her fingers through his hair, “I missed you too, but let me finish your physical, then we can go to bed, and you can tell me how much you love me all night, okay?” It was funny to see him so affectionate and soft. He must have been exhausted to drop his usual cool tough-guy exterior. He let go, and she grabbed her purse, pulling out her new stethoscope, “Thanks for this, by the way, I’ve been meaning to get a new one. This is going to be cold,” she warned before placing it on his chest, “Deep breaths now.”

“Hanabi insisted you needed a new one,” he smirked, “But I’m glad you liked it.” The disc was cold, but he took the breaths as instructed. 

Genma was right. He did look a lot worse than it actually was, she expected to find something out of the ordinary, anything, but after feeling his ribs, she was pretty sure none of them were even broken. “How’s your vision and hearing.”

“Well, I can hear your beautiful voice and see your beautiful face so fine, I think,” he teased. 

Sakura rolled her eyes, “You’re ridiculous. But fine. I’ll check in with you tomorrow morning. I think we can skip the hospital visit tonight,” she kissed him lightly. 

“Thank you, Dr. Haruno,” his smile became lazier the more tired he got. “I’m going to shower off this blood and sweat. Then we’ll head home?” Sakura agreed, grabbing her bag, “I still have to get my revenge for last night.” he grazed her waist as she left. 

“We’ll see about that,” the thought that he would do anything but sleep once they made it back to the hotel was laughable.

Sakura drove them back in his car, him nodding off every couple of minutes but still insisting he would rip her clothes off the second they got back into the room. But as soon as his body touched the bed, he was out like a light to no surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyyy they're so cute :)


	22. Trick r Treat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter at the beginning of October thinking I would post it on Halloween but never late than never I guess. I probably won't upload another chapter until my term is over so enjoy! Also I wrote a one-shot after a truly shitty weekend where my car got broken into and I was a witness to someone getting shot all in 24 hours so if you want to see how I cope go read some medieval smut lol. Sorry if that was too personal, sometimes I find writing A/N's like screaming into a void. 
> 
> I'm fine by the way, it was just stressful.

Some people like waking up to sunlight cascading into the room, a warm glow on their face, but Kakashi was not one of those people. As much as he tried to hide his eye in his pillow, he resigned that he had lost and was now fully awake. To top it all off, his girlfriend wasn’t next to him. He wasn’t even sure if she was in the room. “Sakura?” He sat up, rubbing his eyes and looking around. 

“Yeah?” her head popped out of the bathroom, “Good morning.” Her hair was wet, and she just seemed to be wearing a robe. 

“Mornin’,” he stretched his arms up, he winced. “I forgot how sore I get after these things.” The bruises had formed while he slept, and his body was aching from over-exerting himself. 

“Let me take a look at you, give me a sec,” Kakashi stared blankly at the wall, trying to get himself to wake up. Out of the corner of his eye. He noticed a paper coffee cup with a heart drawn on the side. Picking it up, the aroma hit him. It was coffee; Sakura must have gone downstairs to grab some. God bless her. 

It wasn’t until Sakura saw all the black and blue marks on her boyfriend that she realized he was incredibly pale. “Okay,” again, she grabbed her stethoscope and a medkit she had stolen last night, “Let’s see.” He was still breathing normally, which was a relief as he took a few blows to the chest last night, and he also didn’t seem to be experiencing any broken bones, not even a rib. “I’m honestly shocked you’re not in worse shape,” she shook her head, putting everything away, “but take some Advil. It’ll help with the soreness.”

“See?” he smirked after swallowing the pills, “Fighting isn’t that bad. Also, Genma said he was going to have ice brought up for me for an ice bath, so I’ll be good to go for tonight,” he sounded very unenthused. 

Sakura moved to check on his stitches, “You know I can tell Genma that I can’t recommend you go because of the risk of infection. You should be resting anyway.”

“Thanks, but I should go. There are some people that Genma wants me to talk to. It’s just part of the job, I guess,” he shrugged. 

About to protest, Sakura stopped; it’s not like she could lecture someone who pushed themselves too much in their career. “Okay, well, my mother wants me to come over for a little and run errands with her, but I’ll be back in time to get ready for the party.”

It was disappointing that he couldn’t spend all day with her, but she probably didn’t get to see her family too often. “Sounds good. What did you get me as a costume, by the way?” He meant to ask a few times before this, but he was so preoccupied with her family and the fight it slipped his mind. 

“Secret,” she pulled away, finishing her check-up, “I love you,” she kissed his forehead. 

“Love you too.” He watched as she grabbed her things and left. It felt good not to hold that in anymore. 

**

The day had not been as frustrating as Sakura thought it would be. It seemed like the day out running errands was her mother’s version of an apology of sorts since she also bought Sakura lunch. She should be apologizing to Kakashi, but both of them would probably hate being in that situation. However, as they finished their trip to the grocery store and headed home, Mebuki said she had something for Kakashi. Running inside while Sakura waited in her car, she came back out with two things of Tupperware, one with rice, another with an eggplant chicken dish. Her mom told her that it’s important to eat healthy in his line of work. 

It was so simple, but it spoke a million words. She was sorry for being rude during dinner and approved of his career; she just did it through food, which, honestly, Kakashi would appreciate more than words, which he did as he was craving eggplant. They ate on the floor in bowls they found in the room. 

“This is so good,” It looked like Mebuki made the dish with the intention that even after one sitting, there would be leftovers, but Kakashi was pretty sure he could finish the whole thing by himself. “Can you ask your mom for the recipe?”

The image of her mom and Kakashi exchanging recipes was cute and a little funny, “Yeah,” she giggled, “I can. She’ll be happy to know you like it.”

“I do. Your mom might not be the nicest person I’ve ever met, but damn she can cook,” he continued to fork down his food. This morning he ate a little bit between being sore, the ice bath, and another nap; he was very ready for a proper meal. “Oh, by the way, what’s my costume?” He had meant to ask a few times, but it kept escaping him. 

Sakura finished her food and stood up, “It’s a surprise,” she sang, picking up a cloth bag that had been sitting in the closet. Kakashi hadn’t given it much thought. “Here, throw this on,” Sakura threw him a gray flannel and black jeans, not sure when she grabbed them out of his closet. Before Kakashi could respond, Sakura took the bag into the bathroom. 

As much as Kakashi wanted to keep eating, he figured he should change first. It sounded like she had a plan. Thankfully Sakura knew him well enough to know he’d be happiest in regular clothes, but he wasn’t sure what the costume was supposed to be. A raincloud? After a few minutes, Sakura came out in a familiar outfit, but way better. She had a small brown shirt, tight white blouse, and a red cloak. But his favorite part was brown thigh-high boots; he always found them hot. He thought the picture he saw of her dressed up as little red riding hood for her medical school thing was cute, but this was definitely the sexy version. “You and your outfits,” he went up and grabbed her waist, “maybe you should call Genma. I want you all to myself.” His hands slid down her backside; he had forgotten how much she teased him that first night. 

It felt good having his hands on her again, but before they could get too carried away, Sakura had to give him his costume. “Here,” her arms went up, and Kakashi could feel her put something on his head, “You look so cute now.”

He grabbed the headband and took it off, “Wolf Ears? So am I the big bad wolf, huh?” he put it back on and leaned over her. “Come here then, little red,” He bent down to pick her up like he liked to do but winced as he did it. “God damn it,” He felt his side, still in rough shape from the night before. 

“Hey,” he was still bent down from his attempt to lift her, so his head was lower. She held each side of his head with her hands, “Get on the bed,” she gestured with her head. “Shirt and pants off though,” he undid his flannel and pants and began to take off the ear, “keep those on,” she gave a coy smile.

“Oh,” he straightened them; he liked roleplaying where his partner dressed up as something, but he hadn’t done it himself, but there was a first time for everything. “How do you want me red?” he brushed underneath her chin.

“On your back,” she gently shoved his chest, and he willingly fell. “You’re a very mean wolf,” she climbed onto him, straddling his hips. 

Kakashi made a play bite at the air, “Is that so? Now, what did I do to you?”

“You were very, very rude to me,” her eyes narrowed in on him as her kisses made their way down his chest. The lower she got on him, the more she slid down; Kakashi shuttered as her ass grazed his cock. “Now that you're all beat up, I can have a little revenge,” before he could react, she pulled down his boxers. Over a week of build-up in him, it didn’t take much to get him hard; actually, it only took her walking out in her costume. She opened her mouth and lowered it on him, he tried to reach for her hair, but the pain on his torso forced him to stay strapped on his back.

In his head, he was screaming not to finish after two minutes of a blowjob, but it was so hard, he had been fantasizing about this moment during every cold shower this week. But it was even better because now she was in a cute little outfit. “Sakura, if you keep going, I’m going to finish, and I don’t want to,” he couldn’t take it anymore; his voice was almost a whine.

“Aww, the big bad wolf is going to finish,” she raised her head and pouted, having way too much fun. Wiping the corner of her mouth with her thumb, Sakura moved up and lifted herself onto him. Kakashi realized that she came out of the bathroom with no panties. Smart girl. Slowly the buttons that went up the middle of her blouse came undone as she grinded her hips. Something came over her; she was always the more submissive one during sex, even when she was on top. But now, Kakashi had resigned that he was in no condition to be rough and dominant and enjoyed watching her call the shots, which only made it hotter for her. 

She leaned over him, her breasts, still covered by a lace bralet now in his face and her face buried in his hair. “Fuck red,” his hands grabbed her hips as she started to buck them up and down. Sakura undid the red cloak and threw it off the bed, not wanting to ruin it. Kakashi’s hand moved to her thighs right above her boots, “you’re so hot.” As her hips started to pick up speed, it became harder for Kakashi to focus, “Fuck I’m going to cum, you win.” He gripped her thighs as hard as he could before relaxing, Sakura then placing a tender kiss on his forehead. “Sorry I didn’t last long, I just-”

Sakura put her finger to his lips, “I know. Besides, you took very good care of me the other night, I had to show my appreciation,” she slipped off of him, cleaning both of them up. “Get dressed. We don’t want to be late.” 

Kakashi put his hands behind his head, “Speak for yourself, red. I’m happy to lay in bed naked the rest of the night.”

“You still have the ears on, though,” she pointed out. 

“Fine, naked with wolf ears on,” he grabbed her hand and pulled her to his chest, “with an extremely sexy little red riding hood next to me, how bout it?”

She sighed, resigning herself to his ways, at least for now, if being late meant a little bit of cuddling, she would risk it. “Fine,” she started to slip off her boots, “but only twenty minutes, okay? Then we should go.”

It was a nice five minutes, just him, his girl, very few clothes between the two of them, life was good. Until Genma opened the door, “Yo, time to go!”

“Fuck!” Kakashi pulled a sheet over him while Sakura shot up, luckily she had buttoned her shirt up enough that she had some modesty at his intrusion. “How the fuck did you get a key?” If he wasn’t completely naked, he was pretty sure he would have jumped out of bed and strangled him. 

Genma knew that there was a chance of walking in on something, but they ignored his calls and texts. They would probably ignore him knocking too. “Uhhh,” he looked at the ears; that’s what was really getting to him, “I book your rooms, I always have a key- please explain what’s on your head.” Before Kakashi could answer, though, he noticed the red cloak on the floor, “Oh, I get it big bad wolf and little red riding hood. Cute,” He swore Sakura’s face was redder than the hood, “well, I’ll wait outside, but I want you two out in the hall in ten minutes, understood?” This was rich. He couldn’t wait to tell Asuma. 

“Get out!” Kakashi threw a pillow at him, Sakura a little too mortified to speak. Genma left cackling. “I’m sorry about that,” his head dropped low, “I promise I’ll beat him up later.”

“I’m just glad I was dressed,” Sakura started to relax. The whole situation was kind of funny, especially seeing Kakashi naked with wolf ears. She stood up and started slipping her boots back on, then went to pick up the cloak, “Let’s go, wolf boy.”

Before this, Kakashi didn’t want to go, but now he wanted to bail purely out of spite. But it would be a bad career move, plus Sakura seemed excited to dress up. “Yeah yeah,” he stood up, throwing on the clothes Sakura had picked out and straightened his ears, “tell me not to punch Genma when we get out there.

Sakura just smirked and grabbed his hand, leading them to the hallway. 

**

Logically she knew Kakashi couldn’t hang out with her the whole night. This was basically his version of fundraiser dinners that Tsunade sometimes dragged her to. More for networking than anything. But his were much more exciting than her version, although despite being in a nightclub, not as drunk. A group of men and a very tall woman talked to Kakashi about something, and Sakura could have gone with them, but she didn’t want just to stand awkwardly, so she settled for hanging out with Genma, whose tongue was already down some girl’s throat. Luckily that came to an end when her friend yanked her off. 

He looked over, pouting at Sakura, “So rude. But hey, did you get a chance to talk to Shizune?”

Sakura looked at him wide-eyed, “You want to ask me that after I saw you suffocating that poor girl?” She scoffed, “You’re really something, Genma.”

He shook his head, tsking, “You and Kakashi are so alike it’s painful. But why does it matter I was kissing some girl? I wasn’t going to sleep with her, but if I were, I’d use a condom, and I get tested pretty regularly. I’m not going to give your boss a disease.”

“Oh, the testing is very responsible,” she was pleasantly surprised, “But what do you mean we’re alike?” Kakashi seemed so different from her. 

Genma was quiet for a moment, thinking about how to phrase it. “You think it’s weird I would ask for Shizune’s number after making out with a girl because you think I’m going on a date with her with the intention that I see something extraordinary in her and someday make her my wife and mother to my children.” Sakura just glared. She didn’t like where this was going, “But the reality is I just think she’s hot and smart and it’d be fun, maybe it would lead to something, maybe not, but I don’t really care. You and Kakashi, though,” he shook his head, “a different breed. Hopeless romantics who experience things like love at first sight and everything you do with another person is for keeps, ya know?”

“And what’s wrong with that?” she almost spat out. 

Realizing the hole he was digging himself in, he backtracked a little, “Nothing, it’s sweet, literally what love stories are written about. The only annoying part is that you both deny it and pretend to be aloof about how you feel. Well, Kakashi does. I guess I don’t really know you well enough to say that, but I bet it’s true. I should ask Ino,” he teased, confident she was less mad. 

“I guess…” she conceded, “for keeps, huh?”

A rare opportunity for sure, usually Kakashi was very guarded in what anyone knew about his relationship, careful not to say too much. He hated having people in his business. But Sakura, in that way, was his opposite. She looked ready to talk. “For keeps,” he slid a little closer, “He’s a grumpy old man, but he would kill or die for me, Asuma, or Kurenai, even if he threatens to kill me,” he gave a half-hearted laugh. “But in all seriousness, he would. Once we were at a club, obviously the rest of us were having fun while Kakashi sulked in the corner. But he saw some guy eying Kurenai and made his way over to her, probably to try and feel her up, but before he got a chance, Kakashi kicked his ass in the middle of the floor. What I’m saying is once someone is in his life, he doesn’t let go.”

“Really?” Sakura would never advocate for violence, but she would have liked to see that. 

“Yeah, we got kicked out obviously, but the guy ran away, so it never became an issue. I think that’s why Kurenai made him Mirai’s godfather. It’s like having a guardian angel- sorry for the cheesy imagery.”

“No, no,” she shook her head. Enamored with the conversation. They had said ‘I love you’ to each other, but there was still so much she didn’t know, “Will you tell me more?” One thing that Sakura had always loved was to learn, and this subject was no different. She gave him her widest eyes and full attention. 

Genma paused, trying to figure out what to say next, “Well, the other day, Kakashi asked me if I wanted to renew our lease next year.” Sakura looked confused, to which Genma smirked, “I’ve lived with the guy for seven years now, and he’s never asked me that. It’s always been assumed, but it seems I’m being kicked out, or he’s leaving.”

“He wants to move in together?” She loved him, but panic started to set in. Everything had already been moving quickly. She needed things to slow down, just a bit. 

Realizing his mistake, Genma backtracked. Hard. “No, no, sorry. Let me clarify. He asked me last month when we resigned, and we have a year-long lease. I think the thought just occurred to him that maybe he didn’t want to live with me forever.” He finished praying he undid the damage.

“Ah,” Sakura dwelled a little longer, “Okay, that makes sense. Thanks for that,” she smiled nervously, still recovering from the thought he might ask her to move in anytime soon. “So you seem to know a lot about Kakashi,” she tried to change the subject. 

Genma shrugged, “I’ve known the guy for ten years, lived with him for seven, you get to know a person. But I guess I’d say I’ve thought about him more than I should have. He’s a fucking enigma, hard guy to read. But ultimately, I think he’s a good guy, a little moody and emotionally constipated, but given his lot in life, I think he did okay.”

“I think so too,” Sakura and Genma both looked up to Kakashi standing over them, “don’t stop this conversation on my account.” Both of them looked like they had seen a ghost, “Oh come on,” he pulled up a seat next to Sakura and faced his friend, “What else, Genma?”

If there was one thing Kakashi had down, it was his death glare, “that’s it. Sakura was just about to give me Shizune’s number. Then I was going to give you two crazy kids some privacy.” Genma felt his fight or flight instincts kick in. 

“Oh yeah,” Sakura had almost forgotten how their whole conversation started. “I told Shizune you thought she was cute, and she wrote her number on the back of her card for you,” she opened her wallet, pulling out a business card, “You take care of her, though. She had a terrible date last week, like really bad,” her brow furrowed, remembering the story. 

“Why was it so bad?” Kakashi asked. 

“Don’t tell her I told you this,” she pointed at Genma, “Apparently the date started out fine, they grabbed dinner, he was hot, but then he started talking about how he was in a church, and he followed a god called Jashin. She thought he was just overzealous about religion, which made her not want to go on a second date, but he started getting handsy, so she figured the sex would be fun, at least. So they went back to his place, and he asked her to cut him with a knife while she rode him.” Both Genma and Kakashi looked at each other before looking back at Sakura, both wide-eyed and a little horrified. “Yeah… so she left after that. Later she googled Jashin, and it’s a cult here in the city, and they’re known for self-mutilation, so,” she looked back at Genma and smiled, “the bar is currently very low. Just don’t be a cult member.”

“I think I can do that,” he pocketed the card, “Well, on that note, I’m going to get a drink and have a smoke, so have fun you two,” he waved on his way out. 

They were sitting at a booth. Kakashi moved his arm around her and pulled her close, “Sorry to leave you there for a minute but sounds like you had a fun talk with Genma,” he whispered. Sakura stayed silent, unsure of how to respond, “I’m not mad,” he assured her, kissing her forehead, “But you can ask me whatever you want, and I’ll answer. I love you, after all.”

“I love you too,” her hand touched his face as she pulled him into a kiss, despite how packed the club was, the glaring lighting and loud music. For a second, nothing else existed in the world except each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact Sakura's mom making him dinner is an idea I got from my mother doing the same thing. The first time she met my partner she called him by my exes name (on accident) but felt so bad she baked him his favorite cookies lol. Genma walking in on Kakashi only wearing wolf ears is possibly the greatest thing to ever come out of my brain. Little fun fact I also made the date that Sakura went on in the first chapter the Hidan date but I couldn't do it to her XD
> 
> Alrighty, let me know how you guys like it!


	23. Safe and Sound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wrote a 50 page paper about how poorly constructed mental health care in the U.S. is and turned it in a few days ago. It feels good writing something else XD

It was back to reality. For real this time. No more trips or hotel stays planned, no more parties and drunken nights all dressed up. They were both working, now more than ever. Sakura was picking up more shifts to get more experience, specifically in cardiology.

Meanwhile, Kakashi was training for a local fight in a few weeks and working out contracts for sponsorships and the video game. He wasn’t as much of a fan of that part, but luckily that’s what he had Genma for. Lunch dates and at least one night at his place and one at hers a week was the routine they had fallen into. But that was okay; both of them secretly liked the consistency. 

Tonight was one of the nights at her house, “Hey, what do you want to do tomorrow? I have a night shift, so I’ll be free all day.”

Kakashi was on the couch, his eyes narrowed, and chin rested on his knuckles, “What?” he broke out of his trance, “sorry, what did you say?”

“You okay?” Sakura set down the towel in her hand; she was following through on the promise she made weeks ago to make him a dinner of box mac and cheese. Kakashi still looked kind of confused, slowly coming back to reality, “What were you thinking about?”

“Nothing,” he shook his head, “what did you ask again?”

At the Halloween party, he told her she could ask him anything, and he would tell her she would give him one more chance, “I asked what do you want to do tomorrow. But what were you thinking about?”

His first instinct was to lie. When Genma would ask where he was going before leaving for the graves, he would tell him he needed the drive to clear his mind so it’d be impossible to find him. But Sakura was not Genma, obviously. Still, there was something about it being Rin’s birthday and him meeting up with her grandmother that felt more complicated. “I-” he wasn’t sure how to answer. He was actually starting to panic. 

Sakura sighed, “Look, I’m pretty sure something is bothering you, but if you don’t want to tell me, I won’t force you. But I’m here for you. That’s kind of what the ‘I love yous’ mean,” she sat down on the couch next to him. “So, what do you want to do tomorrow?”

“I can’t hang out tomorrow,” he looked at her, still panicked, but he wasn’t sure why, “sorry, I have to do something.”

“Okay…” she recoiled a bit to his reaction, “Are you okay?”

“Fuck,” he ran his fingers through his hair, “Sorry,” his head dropped low, “I’m fine.”

It was only a matter of time before he saw this side of him, one he had kept so guarded. While he had shared some pretty heavy things with her in the past, it seemed to always be on his terms, he told her calmly, with purpose, which was fine but right now, he was vulnerable in every sense of the word. “Hey,” she moved off the couch on her knees in front of him, “it’s okay, whatever it is. I’m here,” her voice became softer. 

Kakashi raised his head to meet her shining eyes, but he hated the glint of concern now in them because of him. “Sorry,” he said again, moving his chin onto her shoulder. 

She started to stroke the back of his head, “You have nothing to apologize for. You haven’t done anything but be upset about something. I’m fine, just a little worried.”

“Tomorrow,” he started, still wrapped up in her, “it’s Rin’s birthday. I always go to their graves on their birthdays, but last time I visited I saw her grandmother, she wants me to meet her there and bring you. I didn’t think it was a big deal before but now… I don’t know what’s happening.”

“Ah,” she held him a little tighter, “it sounds like you’re having some anxiety about it.”

“Ya, something like that,” he felt himself let go just a little, emotions of fear, guilt, and depression flooding through his body. 

Sakura could feel a few drops of water hit the back of her shirt. It was surprising, but she tried to stay as neutral as possible, “Nothing bad is going to happen if we go to Rin’s grave, nothing bad is going to happen if we see her grandmother. I don’t know Rin, but I think she’d be happy to see you.” She could feel him tense up, but she countered by placing her free hand on his back and whispered, “I love you.”

Kakashi took a moment to collect himself, “I love you too.” Quickly he wiped away the few tears he dropped before letting her see his face, “So, you want to go tomorrow?” The tears stopped, but his body felt like it had been electrocuted. 

“Yeah, I’d love to, and it answers the question I’ve asked you three times now,” she kissed his forehead, the same as he had done to comfort her. “Now, are you ready for some shitty mac and cheese?”

It forced a grin out of him, “No, but I’m hungry.” He gave her a quick kiss before heading to the kitchen. 

***

Sakura thought it was best that she drove today. Kakashi hadn’t fully recovered from his panic attack. They’ve slept in the same bed before and not had sex, but it was unusual. Also, he clung to her almost for dear life the entire night. Both were fine but a little worrying. He seemed slightly better this morning, though. They walked up to Obito’s grave first, “Hey, it’s Rin’s birthday. I’ll tell her the flowers are from you too. Also, this is the girl I told you about, Sakura.”

“Hello, Obito,” Sakura leaned down, “I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s an honor to meet you. Kakashi told me you’d like me, and I’d get annoyed by you. But I don’t think that’s true.”

It made him smile that she just started talking to him. The biggest reason he had never brought someone to his visits, not even Hanare, was because he was pretty sure he looked crazy. But once again, Sakura surprised him in the best ways possible. “It is. I got annoyed by him all the time, but it was hard not to love him. Okay, see you around, man,” he gave a small wave to the grave, “it’s Rin’s day after all.” 

They walked a little further down the cemetery, and Kakashi stopped. This grave was a bit more elaborate than Obito, “Happy Birthday Rin,” he placed the flowers in the holder. “This is Sakura. I love her, and I swear I’m not a crappy boyfriend this time. I’ve never been late to anything with her, I don’t fall asleep on dates, and best of all, I don’t hit on guys in front of her,” he grinned. Rin would roll her eyes every time he made an innuendo at their friend. Obito thought it was just teasing, but Rin was a little smarter. 

“Wow, you were shitty,” Sakura smiled, “I’m sorry you had to put up with him. But he is pretty great now.”

Kakashi put his hand on the grave, “Remember your sixteenth birthday? That was the first time you ever drank, you, me, and Obito went camping, and you were both absolute messes. I had to stop you from stripping and jumping into the lake at three in the morning and held your hair back while you threw up. Then I had to do the same thing for Obito,” he smiled and shook his head, “You guys were both so dumb. I had to cook breakfast and clean up the campsite all by myself while you two slept on the grass trying to nurse your hangovers.” His mood changed, though, “I miss you guys a lot. I wish you were here. I met this girl here, and she’s so perfect and makes me so happy, and it kills me that I can’t share it with you.”

Sakura wasn’t sure what to say to that. Her job required her to comfort people, especially around death, but it was so much different when it was someone she loved. “You young people are so melodramatic,” the two turned around to a short old woman looking at them. “This must be Sakura,” she looked at the pink-haired doctor, “such a pretty thing, my name is Ai.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Ai,” she lowered her head. 

“Now,” she focused her energy towards Kakashi, “You let my little Rin drink?”

Why did he feel like he was a teenager again? “Uh, no ma’am, I mean Obito bought it, I didn’t stop her but…”

Ai started laughing, so he relaxed. Of course, it was a joke. “Such an adorable young man.” Sakura also snickered. He really thought he did something wrong for a second and that Ai could do something about it. “She would have been twenty-eight today,” the flowers made her smile, “I often wonder how her life would have turned out if she had lived. I think she would have married that Obito boy or I’d like to believe so.”

“Me too. Obito would have done anything for her. I had to stop him from proposing at our graduation. But Rin was really happy with him. They were a good fit.” He looked at his girlfriend, “You know after we broke up and she started dating Obito, she told me to find a girl who could kick my ass. Think I did right by her?”

Sakura punched his shoulder, “How did you do it, Rin?” She looked at the grave, “He’s insufferable as an adult. I can’t imagine what he was like as a teenager.”

“You two are a lovely couple,” Ai chimed in, “I’m sure Rin would have approved. So would that Obito boy, but he approved of most things, not the brightest bulb now was he?”

“True,” Kakashi shrugged, “Ai, could we treat you to lunch?”

“As much as I’d love to, sitting in the car so long was quite taxing, and I have a neighbor waiting to take me back. But here,” she pulled out a piece of paper with her number from her purse, “I’m getting too old to make the trip out here, but it makes me happy to know Rin’s grave will be well taken care of. But maybe you could come to the country sometime, and we could talk about her? I think I’d like to hear all the fun stories. All I know are the boring ones,” she smirked. “You two have a wonderful rest of your day and a lovely lunch. Drink something with vodka in it for me.” She headed towards the graveyard’s parking lot, where a car was waiting. 

“Funny old bat,” Kakashi adjusted the flowers again and carefully pulled some leaves off that had fallen since they got there, making sure the grave was perfect. “Thanks for coming with me, this was nice. I think Rin’s happy,” he looked up to the sky. He was never one for religion in any way, but with so much death in his life, part of him had to believe they could hear him, somewhere in the universe. 

Sakura grabbed his hand, “Of course, I’d visit with you anytime. It’s important to you.”

“Huh,” it was important to him but was always so draining, it made him sad. But for once, he felt content. Turns out the burden of visiting dead loved ones wasn’t as bad when you had people to support you. Go figure. 

***

“If you don’t mind me asking, where is your dad buried?” Maybe not the best lunchtime conversation, but he was so diligent with Rin and Obito, she was sure his dad’s must be immaculate. 

“Same cemetery, in the back,” he took a bite of his food, his expression unchanging. 

He had been so caring towards his two friends, saying hello and goodbye to Obito even though it was Rin’s birthday. It seemed odd he wouldn’t also visit his father, “Well, maybe next time I could meet him too.”

“I don’t visit him,” he looked up and glared. There was anger in his eyes, but it didn’t feel directed towards her. 

Rin and Obito had died in an accident; it wasn’t their fault. But Sakura failed until now to realize that his feelings towards his dad might be more complicated. “Oh,” for now, it felt best to drop it, “sorry. Tell me another story about you, Rin and Obito.” She was trying to change the subject, but she did like hearing him talk about them. He seemed happier when he did. 

He felt bad for his response, she was trying to be supportive, but he was in no way ready to deal with the issues surrounding his father. Talking about Rin and Obito was a welcomed distraction, “Well,” he thought for a second, “Once I was crashing at Obito’s house, and he thought it’d be romantic to go and throw stones at her window like that dumb teen movie. He tried to sneak past me, but I caught him and tagged along because Obito was a dumbass and should be allowed to do anything wrong. Good thing I did because long story short, Rin’s dad thought we were burglars and pointed a shotgun at us, Obito was about to run away and get shot in the back, but I stopped him and got the old man to recognize us.”

“See, I think I would have liked Obito. He’s a romantic, like you,” it was true, but she was also kind of teasing him. 

“Yeah,” he brushed past the comment. He should have never left Genma alone with her. “Well, Rin’s dad hit both the sides of our heads, and Rin was pretty mad too. Luckily Rin’s mom liked us, so we were eventually allowed back over.”

“Didn’t her parents think it was weird that she dated you than Obito?” She couldn’t imagine having the same dynamic with Sasuke and Naruto. 

“Her parents didn’t know we dated. Rin told them I was gay, which made it easier for us to hang out that way. Also, we were only together for like a month or so, no big deal.” 

“You told me you loved her though,” this was so confusing to her. 

“I did- I do,” he corrected. “But I told her that before we got together, and I said it to her after we broke up. Drove Obito nuts, but I loved him too, again, I was the untraditional one of the group,” he grinned, “I don’t know if they fully understood what I meant by that, but I didn’t mind. They were happy with each other. That’s all I cared about.”

Sakura stared, her eyes narrowing at her boyfriend who was still eating, “you’re such a weird guy.”

“Just because I’m capable of loving two people at once doesn’t make me weird, Sakura,” he scolded, “I thought you were more open-minded than that.”

“Not that,” Ino had completely desensitized her from all things relationship and sex, both from her research and personal exploits. “I mean, you were so content that everyone in your life was happy, but what about your own happiness?”

Fuck. He had no idea what to say to that, “Well, I’m happy now. Does that count?”

“It does,” she smiled, “but it worries me. I don’t want you to be content just because I’m happy. I want us to be happy together. Does that make sense?” 

Kakashi reached across the table to touch her hand. It was then that he realized why everything was so different with Sakura compared to his previous relationships. Rin was a young teenage girl. She didn’t know how to be in a relationship; he didn’t either, to be honest. Then there was Hanare; she was sweet but had a lot of demons, most of which he didn’t even know about. Both times all he knew what to do was protect, protect them like he failed to protect his parents and later his friends. But for the first time, someone was trying to protect him; he felt safe with her. “Yeah, it makes sense.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So fun fact, this was actually going to be the end of the series because I started writing this with no ending in mind (a mistake I have no made with my other stories). But then while deep in the throws of my paper for school I came up with an actual way to end and thus part 2 was born. I have the next four weeks off of work and school so get ready for a weird upload schedule for the month of December, not that my upload schedule was ever consistent lol
> 
> For clarification, this is the end of part 1 and part 2 starts next chapter! It's set three years later and will be maybe slightly shorter than part 1 and will have the grand finale :) Hope everyone is doing well! Love y'all


	24. Pt 2. Prom Queen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 y'all! Three years later

Compared to the first six months of their relationship, the next three years were relatively boring. There were a few boxing matches, a couple of weddings, and one short vacation to an island on Kurenai and Asuma's invitation. But last few years, the pair had gone into hyperdrive with their careers. Sakura finishing up her residency and was offered an attending position in the cardiology department. Meanwhile, what was Kakashi not doing? He was thirty now, only a couple of years from retiring age for fighters, and while he still had an excellent winning record, he was expanding the gym, working out sponsorships, and even training some up and comers. But the fights were where he really made his money, and with his career coming to an end, Asuma wanted to invest, but the whole thing gave him a headache. Punching people was much easier. With everything going on made it difficult to find time to be together, so their solution: move in together, of course. 

“Hey,” she kissed her boyfriend’s cheek as he walked in, and she made her way out, “I have those papers you signed. I can drop them off with Asuma before work.” Before committing to leaving, she checked her bag to make sure she had everything. 

The hospital was twenty minutes in the opposite direction of the hospital, very out of her way, so she left almost forty minutes early to do him a favor. He was indeed lucky to have such a caring and thoughtful girlfriend, but he had a few ideas for a better way to spend an extra forty minutes. “Can I see those papers real quick?” Sakura handed him a file to which he unceremoniously threw on their coffee table. He pulled her inside and slammed the door, pinning her against it. “You know,” he leaned over to kiss the bottom of her neck, “Asuma doesn’t need those papers right now. I’ll drop them off later,” he moved up once he saw her start to give in, “We’ve both been working hard lately, why don’t we have a little fun, I think we deserve it.”

Sakura wrapped her arms around him while he picked her up, “You have to be quick. I have a hectic schedule today,” she kissed him. 

It started slow, it had been a while since they had kissed like this, so they took a moment to savor it. Both of them had erratic and inconsistent schedules, so they were lucky to have an hour together where they were both awake. “I fully intend on making you later, Dr. Haruno.”

“Mhmm,” her kisses became deeper as he carried her to their bed, “Is that so, Mr. Hatake? I’m going to be mad if you do.”

Once they reached the bed, he dropped her on her back before quickly pinning her, one arm on each side of her head, “Promise?” With one hand, he undid her pants and pulled them down, “You know, I like you a little mad,” his fingers swirled around her clit, “You’re cute when you’re mad.”

Sakura tried to pout, but it felt like ages since he had touched her down there. She felt pathetic, but she felt like she could finish just like this. But that wouldn’t be any fun. “You’re such an assho-ah-” Kakashi stuck one of his fingers in her. 

“Shh,” he lightly pressed his lips to hers, “I missed your pussy. Let me enjoy it?” He moved himself down low, pulling her pants off, “fuck Sakura,” he grunted, “We work too much. Quit your job and hang out at the house naked,” he kissed her stomach, pushing her shirt up, “I’ll take care of you.”

Sakura rolled her eyes and pulled her boyfriend up by his hair, “You quit your job,” she smirked, “Once I become an attending, I’ll be making more than you.” 

Kakashi unbuttoned his pants while kissing her, “Yes, Dr. Haruno.”

Not in a million years did Kakashi think he would be here. A successful career, and even more successful surgeon girlfriend who he lived with. He was teaching classes, did his taxes, and the weirdest part was he didn’t hate it. Stability and happiness suited him, and life was good, especially right now.

With every thrust of his hips, his girlfriend moaned just a little louder. The only bad part of his new life as it left less opportunity to hear those sweet noises. “Kakashi,” she swung her arms around him, “I love you,” she held on tight. 

“I love you too,” he moved his hand to her back, “Ready?” he whispered in her ear. 

But before Sakura could ask for what, Kakashi, holding her close, moved her with him. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Sakura still on him, now grinding her hips into him. “Why do you always insist on manhandling me?” She took off his shirt, biting her lip at his body. Sometimes she found herself underappreciating how good of care Kakashi took of himself. 

“It’s fun. You always make a cute little squeal,” he teased. Sakura ground into him harder at the dig. Kakashi threw his head back and chuckled, “Okay, sorry.” He knew it had to be a quickie, but he still tried not to finish, wanting to savor how he felt inside her. Grabbing her ass in his hands, he helped her slide up and down his shaft. Both of them were getting closer, but then he heard it. The sound he had grown to hate more than anything else in the world. Sakura’s fucking pager. “Ignore it. We’re almost done,” he was more desperate than he would ever admit. 

“I can’t,” she gave him a quick peck. “That’s my emergency pager. I have to get down there,” she stood up and started getting dressed. It wasn’t like she wanted to stop, but someone had to be an adult, and if this pager was going off, there were likely lives on the line, not something she could easily ignore. 

And deep down, Kakashi knew this, “Yeah,” he sighed, falling back on the bed, “Someday though, I’m going to throw that damn pager into the wall.”

“I know,” she gave him another quick peck before rushing out the door, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

~~

The morning hadn’t been ideal, but he knew Sakura would be back at a reasonable hour for dinner, so he bailed on a meeting. Genma and Asuma could deal with it. He had a hot doctor girlfriend at home who would be very happy to have homemade fried rice for dinner instead of shitty box mac and cheese. 

“Hello,” Kakashi nearly attacked her as she walked through the door, “I ditched so I could hang out with you,” before she could even set her stuff down, his arms were wrapped around her. 

It was like having a dog. Well, maybe more like a puppy, Pakkun was way less excitable. But it was also very sweet. “I don’t really condone you ditching work, but I’m happy to see you,” he dropped her bag and hugged him, “I missed you. Today sucked.”

“This morning?” She just nodded, “I’m sorry,” he held her tighter and kissed her forehead. “But I made fried rice for dinner.”

“With pineapple?” 

Kakashi rolled his eyes. Sakura’s one flaw was she liked pineapple on both pizza and in fried rice, “Of course. Wouldn’t dream of not putting it in.” He was telling the truth. As disgusting as he found it, it made her happy, so it made him happy. 

“Wanna tell me about your day, or should I grab the tequila?” Kakashi asked after dinner, snuggled with her on the couch. 

She sighed, “This morning, a guy came in after a heart attack. Long story short, I lost him.” The first time Sakura had ever lost someone during surgery, she cried for hours. Kakashi had absolutely no idea what to do except sit there until she passed out from exhaustion. Neither of them worked for two days. Kakashi couldn’t bring himself to leave. Genma and Asuma were obviously happy to accommodate. But she pulled out of it, and life continued. The next few times it happened, it was hard, and she didn’t come home happy, but she told him it became easier to process the more it happened. 

“You okay?”

Sakura shrugged, “I guess. But it wasn’t all bad. You know that patient of mine, Kisa?” Kakashi nodded. She was a teenager who had come in a few weeks ago, on the transplant list, and couldn’t leave the hospital. “Well, she’s missing her senior prom, so her friends came up to me and asked if she could throw her a surprise one.”

“Prom, huh?” Kakashi was kicked out of his. 

“Yeah,” she looked up to him. “I’m chaperoning a prom next weekend. Want to be my date?”

That was the last thing he expected to hear from here. They were thirty, a little old for prom, “Uh, I mean, not really, but I’ll show up if you want me to.”

Sakura laughed and kissed him, “I’m kidding. I’m just staying a couple of hours after my shift to make sure everything goes okay. You would just be sitting next to me in a chair.”

“Oh, thank god,” he felt some relief, “but maybe I could take you out afterward? Been a while since I took you out on a proper date. I thought Ichiraku’s, it’s been a long time since we’ve been there.”

“That sounds amazing,” she curled into his side and closed her eyes. 

He hoped that ditching work tonight would mean picking up where they left off this morning, but that’s not what she needed right now. So he stroked her hair until she fell asleep, carrying her to their room and tucking her in. Kakashi had never met his mother. She died before he turned one but right before his father passed, he tried to ask about her. He couldn’t get much, but his father told him, “She made me want to fight harder.” Of course, as a child, it made no sense to him, but looking at his sleeping girlfriend, the house around him, the life they were building- he’d fight tooth and nail to keep it. 

~~

Kisa was taken down to radiology for a check-up. Sakura let her friends in to decorate the room. She even got in the spirit and wore a red dress, a more casual version of what she actually wore at prom. 

“Okay, guys, Kisa’s on her way back up,” Sakura got a text from Hinata. They had even laid out a dress for her to wear. It was one of those moments that gave her faith in humanity. These kids had worked so hard for their friend. 

Of course, Kisa started crying when she saw the room, the dress, her adorable date. She got changed, and the kids danced and laughed. They ordered pizza and had crappy punch. Sakura was happy to supervise it. Hopefully there would be a heart available soon, and she would most likely be doing the transplant. Studies showed that happier patients healed faster, and Kisa sure did look happy. 

“Hey,” Kakashi stood in the room’s doorway, “how’s prom going?”

She looked up, “hey,” she was surprised. He looked nice, a button-up shirt and slacks, very unlike him, “look at you.”

“Yeah, well, I figured if I was going to crash a high school prom, I could at least try,” he looked up at the kids who were dancing to some obnoxious song, “looks like they’re having fun.”

Kisa looked over, “Dr. Haruno, is this your boyfriend?”

“Uh yeah, Kisa this is Kakashi, Kakashi, Kisa.”

There was a very suspicious grin on her face. He wasn’t sure if he liked it, “Yo,” he waved, “happy prom.”

“Thank you. Weird question but,” she pulled out her phone, “Can I have a picture with you? My dad and brothers watch all of your fights, and I want to make them jealous.”

Not usually why fans asked for a picture, but he could respect it, “yeah, sure.” Kisa handed the phone to Sakura. The photo was adorable. The night went on, and Kakashi did just sit next to his girlfriend, which she appreciated. The only other adult was Kisa’s mother, but she was in the other corner doing work from her computer. It was the only way she could be there for her daughter. 

After the kids started to leave, Sakura, Kakashi, and Kisa’s mom took down decorations. Kisa insisted on walking her date to the elevator and came back, skipping with a massive smile on her face. Sakura was happy she got to experience this. They left with Kisa giving a hug to Sakura, thanking her for helping her friend make it happen. 

~~

“You know why I love you, Sakura?” Kakashi had his arm around her as they walked through a park nearby after dinner.

“Mhmm, I have some ideas but shoot.” 

“You’re a good person. Not just a normal good person, but I truly believe you would go to the ends of the earth and back for someone if they asked you,” he held her tighter, “I’m really lucky to have you.”

Sakura stop, turning on her toes and lifting herself to kiss him, “Not as lucky as I am,” she took his hand in hers, “Can I tell you something?”

“Anything,” he grabbed her hips. 

“I think I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Not that we have to get married right now-” she started to panic, “or ever really. Shit, I’m-”

Luckily Kakashi had cut her off, kissing her again, deeper this time, though. In a way that Sakura felt she could need a second to catch her breath once he let her go, but she didn’t want him to. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Dr. Sakura Haruno.” His pressed grazing hers. 

But before Sakura could respond, the pager went off. She checked it, somewhat to Kakashi’s annoyance. “I have to leave,” usually Sakura looked disappointed too when her pager called her in, but there was a huge grin on her face. “They have a heart for Kisa.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured out where this story is going and I'm SO excited for you guys to read it! It gets wild and it was so fun to write! Lol I'm trying to think of the perfect reason that Kakashi would get kicked out of prom.  
> P.S. I love pineapple in my fried rice and my boyfriend thinks I'm insane.


	25. Pt 2. White When You're Sad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to get two chapters out last week since I had no school, work, or family obligations but alas I got super sick (But luckily not COVID!) so here we are. I'm hoping to get one more chapter up before Christmas plus a small bonus holiday special ;)

Going to bed without her next to him never ideal, but it happened at least once a week when she took an overnight shift. But this time, he found solace in the fact his girlfriend was giving a teenage girl her life back; she was incredible. But luckily, this weekend, she had off, and all he had to do was jump on a video meeting. It was for some sponsorship deal. They were in Vegas, Genma would be there, but he knew Sakura wouldn’t be up for traveling after a long week of work, and he would rather be with her. It wasn’t often they got a weekend together. 

Fast asleep, there was a click at the door that woke Kakashi up. Usually, he wasn’t a light sleeper, only when Sakura wasn’t with him. 4 am. She had left for the hospital at 10 pm. He got up, hoping to greet her and get her into bed for a few hours until he had to get up. “Hey,” he yawned, how did-” Well, he just answered his own question. Sakura was sitting at the table, her head buried in her arms. He could hear her crying. She was still wearing her scrubs. That meant one of two things, either she was overworked or upset. Considering her current schedule, she was both right now. These were things Kakashi had learned while living with her. 

He went to the bathroom and drew her a bath; she always said baths helped her calm down. While it ran, he kneeled down, “Come on, let’s get you in. You’ve had a long day.” Slowly she got up from her seat and leaned against him as they walked to the bathroom. Kakashi turned the water off while Sakura took off her clothes. He held her hand as she got in and sat down. 

“Hey Kakashi,” she looked up at him, “Would you get me a glass of wine?”

He smiled, “Of course.” Kurenai once told him that wine was typically seasonal. Whites and Roses in the spring and summer while reds were usually for the fall and winter. Then there was Sakura. Rose, when she was happy, white when she was sad, and red when trying to be polite because she hated it. White it was. “Here,” he handed her a glass and sat against the wall, his elbow on the tub. “So wanna talk about it?”

“She had a reaction to the anesthesia. There was nothing,” tears started to fall, “I tried,” her head dropped as she brought her knees up. Sakura always gave her all to her patients but trying to save Kisa was a level she had never been on before. But it still wasn’t enough. 

For a few minutes, Kakashi took back the wine and rubbed her back as she tried to process what had happened. Sometimes he was at a loss to say when she was like this; he had no idea what she was going through, what would be comforting to hear, what would make it worse. But there was something he could say that was always right, “I love you so much, Sakura.”

She lifted her head and wiped her tears away, “I love you too. You don’t have to stay up. I know you have to be at the gym in a few hours.”

He shrugged, “Don’t worry about it. I can take a nap after I get home. Let me worry about you.”

“I don’t want you to worry about me. I’m thirty, for fucks sake! And I’m a doctor! I shouldn’t let this affect me so much,” she took back her wine, her face turning as red as her eyes. 

It was a little funny how childish she could sound sometimes, “Just because you’re thirty doesn’t mean you can’t be sad. Also, I technically worry about you all the time, so…” she just glared. “Last year,” he started stroking her hair, “when Rin’s grandma died. I felt like I lost the last connection I had to her and Obito. I felt guilty for being so upset. I barely knew the woman. You know what you said to me?”

“You can be sad over whatever you want,” she muttered. 

“And you said that you’d be there no matter what,” he swiped his thumb over a rouge tear, “And I’ll be there for you no matter what.” 

“I love you,” she put her hand on his, pressed against her cheek. 

He leaned in and kissed her forehead, “I love you too. Hey,” he pulled back, “Can you get the next two days off of work?”

Sakura thought about it, “Maybe? Probably, I have a shit ton of vacation saved up. Why?”

“So you could possibly take a four day weekend?” he hummed. 

Kakashi’s surprises were always great but weirdly extra for someone who was so lowkey and laid back. “Yes,” she narrowed her eyes, trying to read him. “What are you planning?” 

“Do you trust me?” his tone was teasing. 

As tempting as it was to say no, just to mess with him, she wasn’t sure if she ever trusted someone more in her life than him. “Fine. I’ll call tomorrow and get it off. Honestly, Tsunade owes me for all the shifts I pick up.”

“Excellent, I’ll pack your bag. Seeing what you’re going to wear might give it away,” he kissed her again before standing up, “You need any food?”

Looking up at this man, this handsome, muscular, caring, considerate man, for a second, Sakura thought she had dreamed the entirety of their relationship. But no, he was real, and she was real, and even when things were terrible, he made it perfect. “Do we still have leftover pineapple fried rice?”

~~

Sakura had gotten three hours of sleep before calling in that she wouldn’t be coming in the next two days. Tsunade seemed annoyed that it was so last second, but she still granted it, and Sakura promptly fell back asleep. When she finally woke up, Kakashi was zipping up a suitcase, “Mornin’ beautiful,” he went to the kitchen and came back in with a cup of coffee, “Ready to go?” 

Taking a sip of the coffee, she then set it down on her nightstand and grabbed her boyfriend’s neck, pulling him onto the bed. Kakashi was actually surprised, “Hey, what’s up?” He was now on top of her, “Not ready to get out of bed yet?” He noticed the determined look in her eyes.

Holding on to his neck Sakura just stared intensely before kissing him, hard. Kakashi slowly lowered himself on her, grabbing her waist and kissing her back, nipping at her lip. As his hand moved down, he slipped off her thin shorts, pressing his thumb to her clit. He was maybe a bit too eager. It had been a while. “No,” she whispered. She intertwined her legs into his, using momentum to flip him on his back, something he had taught her at the gym. “You sit back,” she moved down, unbuttoning his pants. 

It wasn’t that he didn’t like blowjobs, especially from her, but he often rushed through any foreplay she wanted to do on him. Despite trying to explain that watching her squirm underneath him was plenty of foreplay for him, which was true, she made the point that watching him get off from her was also very satisfying. 

His cock sprang up the second his jeans stopped becoming an issue. Sakura gently pulled his boxers down, almost on instinct, licking it from the bottom of his shaft to the tip before deciding on what she actually wanted to do with him. There was no humanly possible way for her to fit all of him in her mouth, she had tried many times, and it usually left her in a very unsexy coughing fit. Although she still had to try before admitting defeat, it was the overachiever in her. But that meant she had to be strategic how she went about it. Her hands were small, perfect for surgery, but not great here. It could barely wrap around him; still, she put just enough pressure on him to compensate. She was still frustrated that she couldn’t quite reach down to her hand, but it would have to do. Every once in a while, she wondered how she was able to fit him inside her at all, but then again, Kakashi did like to take his time stretching her out. 

She started bobbing her head slowly, keeping her tongue out so it could run along with him. Kakashi rand his fingers through her hair, grabbing a handful of the pink strands. “Fuck Sakura,” he moaned, digging his head into the bed, “Just a little faster.”

Sakura did as she was told, saliva starting to fall, rolling down the side of his cock. She could begin to taste him as he reacted. It didn’t taste like anything, not really anyways, but it was still so erotic, having him inside her like this, tasting him like he did to her so often. It made her more confident; she worked her way, fitting more and more of him. Finally, she reached her limit, feeling him hit the back of her throat; she gagged a little but did herself to push through. 

Kakashi loved watching his girlfriend struggle with his cock. It was both adorable and extremely hot. “Good girl,” he muttered, stroking the side of her face, praising her. 

It was starting to get more difficult though, Sakura took her mouth off, “Sorry,” she kissed the v on his abs. She fully intended on just taking a short break before getting back to work, but Kakashi grabbed her arm and pulled her up. 

He pulled off her shorts easily, “It’s driving me crazy not touching you, Sakura,” he whispered, his fingers once again finding their way between her legs. Slipping them inside her, he grinned, “Did sucking me off make you this wet?”

“Yes,” her answer came off a bit more desperate than she intended. It had, she usually needed a bit more foreplay on her to get like this, but Kakashi always had a way of leading to exceptions. 

Kakashi grabbed her hips, lifted her onto him, Sakura biting her bottom lip as he entered her. “I’m sorry,” he moved her up and down him, his fingers digging into her sides. “I just can’t help myself, watching that little mouth on my cock.”

Apart of her wanted to scold him for being so impatient, but all that came out were little squeals and moans. Maybe she would forgive him this once. She arched her back, playing herself, trying to put a show on for her boyfriend. “Kakashi,” she whimpered out. 

Watching her, he suddenly felt jealous of her fingers; he wanted his tongue all over that swollen clit. But he was also sure that if he stopped fucking her, she would kill him. “Yeah?” His gaze moved up. 

“Cum inside me,” she leaned forward, kissing him. 

Kakashi grabbed her wrist and pulled away from the kiss replacing it by slipping her fingers in his mouth. It wasn’t the same, but it was a nice little taste, “Ask nicely, princess,” he pressed into her lower back and thrusted harder, force her not to move while taking him. 

“Please, daddy cum in me,” she spoke into his chest. Sakura had really blossomed into calling Kakashi daddy the past couple of years. When they first started doing it, she liked it, but it also felt weird and awkward coming out of her mouth sometimes, or at least she thought it did. Luckily she had grown out of that. 

“Anything you for you,” he lifted his head up, his mouth reaching for her breast, sucking on them. His favorite part was her moans when he did this. They were different, sweeter. Especially if he was fucking her while he did it. He noticed her sounds getting louder and faster. “Are you going to cum for me, baby girl?”

“Yes, daddy,” She leaned over, trying to get him to use his mouth on her body again. To which he obliged, picking up on the hint, this time sucking on her other breast. She started grinding her hits with his thrust, her clit grazing his lower chest as she did. “I’m cumming,” she whispered. 

He grinned, throwing her against him faster, giving himself permission to only worry about himself. As he did, he could feel herself tightening around him before letting himself go inside her. The two relaxed, both unable to move for a second. “Holy shit,” Kakashi put his hand on the back of her head, “You were amazing, Sakura.” She always was, but this was definitely a standout. 

Tracing his jawline with her finger, she smiled, “You weren’t so bad yourself.” Slowly Sakura got up, “I’m going to shower before we leave.”

“Yeah,” Kakashi moved his head just enough to look at her, “Take your time.” He was resisting the urge to take a nap. 

After about forty minutes, Sakura came out of the bathroom dressed and ready to go. Kakashi had also pulled himself together enough to get dressed and get the remainder of their stuff together. “Ready to go?”

“I am,” she threw her arms around him, “Will you please tell me where we’re going, though?”

Grabbing her waist and lifting her, he kissing her before grinning, “Nope! But I will tell you we have a six-hour drive ahead of us. I have a two-hour meeting tomorrow and tickets.”

“To what?”

Kakashi set her down, “I’ll be honest, I don’t know. Genma got them and hasn’t told me yet. He just gave me a time and a place to be. Guess this weekend is going to be full of surprises for you.”

“I don’t know if I like this…” she was only half teasing. 

“You said you trusted me,” he tapped her under her chin before picking up the bags and heading out the door. 

Sakura grabbed her bag and followed, “I actually never said I trusted you,” she corrected. She locked the door and headed towards the car. 

“Sakura, you wound me,” he teased. “But you do trust me,” he threw the bags into the truck before taking hers, “you’re here, aren’t you.” He kissed her forehead before getting in. 

Getting into the car, she admitted defeat, “Yes, I do trust you. Almost as much as I love you.”

“I trust you too,” he looked over and smiled, starting the car, “almost as much as I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not going to lie, so excited for this little arc, especially Genma's tickets lol I just thought it'd be fun to watch these two wild out a little ;)


	26. Pt. 2 Road trip

Sakura wrote emails and made some phone calls for the first hour of the trip. Making sure everything was okay while she was gone. Everything was, of course, the hospital would function without her, but she wouldn’t be able to enjoy herself until she did. “So,” Sakura finished off her last email, “Do you ever want kids?”

They swerved, they actually swerved. Kakashi was so caught off guard by the question that he almost killed both of them on the interstate. Marriage had come up in the conversation a couple of times but only in the context that they were both open to it someday, but neither of them had the time to think about it with their careers. And while Kakashi got a little awkward around the topic, he had already decided that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, so it wasn’t too bad. Actually, he had known he was going to spend his life with Sakura for a long time; there was a ring he kept on him just in case. But kids, holy shit. “Babe, you can’t ask me that question while I’m driving,” he was pretty sure his life just flashed before his eyes. 

“Sorry,” she wasn’t really. He was just a drama queen. “My birth control,” an implant in her arm, “I have to replace it soon. I’m just wondering if I should. I mean, I can take it out whenever but…” Okay, maybe this wasn’t the best time or place to bring it up but too late now. 

A few times, Kakashi had considered if he wanted kids; everyone had at least considered, but every time he had no idea. He had no reasons to want them but also no reasons not to want them. He wouldn’t say he was neutral about it, more confused. “Do you want kids?”

“I think so,” she said softly, “How do you feel about that?”

Another question he didn’t know the answer to, “Well, I don’t feel upset over it. But I’m not itching to have them… I’m sorry.” 

“No, no,” Sakura’s voice became a little panicked, “I just- we can talk about it later. I’ll get my birth control replaced.”

Well, he had hurt her feelings, “Wait,” he sighed, “Can I think about it? I’m definitely not opposed to having kids, but I just don’t know where I stand right now with it. But don’t you want to get married first?”

She shrugged, “Not necessarily. You can have kids without getting married. But yeah,” she smiled, “think about it.”

“Thanks. And I know you can, but I mean, it just seems we’ve talked about it before, you know? I feel like we’re more or less on the face page about that right now, so it seemed like a logical first step.” He glanced over at Sakura, who was looking at the floor.

“I guess. Just a wedding is a lot to plan, and if we already know we want to be together, I just don’t see the point,” she wasn’t sure why this conversation was suddenly bumming her out. 

Thinking back, every time marriage had come up, he was the one who brought it up, awkwardly for sure, but it was him. And every time it ended, it was because she ended it, “Do you want to get married?”

“You’ve asked me this before,” her tone was getting harsher, “I said I was open to it.”

He had, but now he wasn’t satisfied with that answer, “Sakura, if you don’t want to get married, that’s fine,” he stayed calm, “it just seems like this topic bothers you a little.”

“Well, it would bother you too if you invited 200 people and got stuck with telling all of them the wedding was off and had to lie about why,” she leaned back into her seat. She and Sasuke had seen each other a few times since Shikamaru’s wedding. They weren’t best friends or anything, but they had learned to be cordial when in the same room, mostly for Naruto’s sake. But that was another thing he would have to apologize for if he wanted to salvage any form of their relationship. He said he’d pay for a round of cards to send off that the wedding was off, but it was only two days away. There was no way everyone would get it in time, so it fell on her to call everyone because she was a decent human being who didn’t want to waste other people’s time. 

That did sound terrible, “I get it,” he put his hand on her thigh, “again, we don’t have to get married, but I want to tell you that that would never happen. I am completely and utterly in love with you, Dr. Sakura Haruno. I would throw myself off a cliff before I did something to hurt you, okay?” He smiled, keeping his eyes on the road. 

“Okay,” she put her hand on his, “But don’t throw yourself off a cliff.”

“Well, I’m not going to hurt you, so I think we’re good. Was it just replacing your birth control that brought this up?” It could have been, but it seemed like a big ask for such a casual reason. 

“We’re thirty,” she paused, “I’m thirty. I mean, I still have time, but if I’m going to have kids, more than one especially, I should start thinking about it now. Not that I want to freak you out or anything,” Sakura briefly considered rolling out of the car. Why was this so awkward? They had been together for three years. 

That was fair, “Sakura,” he hummed, “You’re not freaking me out. Look, we should talk about all this more before making any plans, but it’s not like I’m set in stone not wanting kids, and you’re right. It’s not like we’re getting any younger. Let’s table it for now, but when we get home, we’ll have a real conversation about it.”

It was nice of him to lie, she could see just a tinge of fear in his eyes, but she appreciated that he was doing his best. “Yeah, I’d like that,” she kissed his shoulder, “and thank you.”

“Of course.”

~~

It was the last stretch of the drive, “Are you taking me to Vegas?” She looked at the green highway sign. 

“Yup,” All Kakashi wanted was to get to the hotel. Usually, he’d have Sakura drive some of the ways but it kind of ruined the idea of a surprise destination. 

“Why?”

“Why not?”

Usually, if they do go somewhere over the weekend, it’s a hike or maybe visiting her parents, both a far cry from Vegas, but it would be a hell of a distraction from how shitty her week was. “Alright, so what do you have planned for us?”

His original plan was to leave early so he could take a nap after driving, and they could at least go out for a nice dinner, maybe a club too. But with Sakura sleeping in and then her insistence on getting him back into bed, which he didn’t mind, of course, things didn’t go as planned. Now he was exhausted. They had gotten stuck in some traffic, so they would get into town closer to seven, and a nap might turn into going to bed. “I’ll be honest. I’m pretty tired; maybe we get some dinner, then we could just hang out? Sorry, I feel lame taking you to Vegas and falling asleep early the first night.”

“No, no, dinner sounds great for tonight. I’m a little tired too. Besides, we have two nights after this to go do things. Let's just have a night in, you and me.” Honestly, she wanted to go back to sleep after they had sex that morning. Going out would be fun, but she also loved keeping Kakashi all to herself.

“So you're not mad that I stole you away to Vegas?” he smirked.

“Well, Vegas is a bit out of my wheelhouse, but no, I’m not mad,” she reached over and kissed his cheek, “It’s good to do things I usually wouldn’t do, expand my horizon and all that. Plus, it gives me a chance to dress up. I feel like all I wear is scrubs and leggings.”

Honestly, Vegas wasn’t really his thing either, not anymore at least, but the hotel was free, so might as well use it. Also, since she let him pack her bag, he got to pick out his favorites of Sakura’s dresses, which also didn’t hurt. “Thanks for letting me surprise you, I know it’s kind of tacky, but I thought it might make things a little more exciting.”

It was extraordinarily tacky, but she liked it, “You did good Kakashi, I’m excited.”

~~

The hotel was extra, a giant white fountain in front, the walls seemed to be covered in gold, very gaudy and very vegas. Their room was luckily a lot less ornate. It was nice and simple. There was a big bed, a jacuzzi, and the best part, a huge window that overlooked the city. Kakashi dropped on the bed, “Why am I so tired?” 

“Because you drove six hours right after cumming this morning,” she dropped down next to him, chuckling. “Maybe we should order room service and call it a night.”

While that sounded great, he had already made plans, “I made reservations. I can cancel them if you want, but Kurenai recommended the place. Usually, you have to call in ahead months, but she pulled some strings last night and got us a table.”

“Seriously?” That was very intriguing, “Well, I think we have to go.” She mostly suggested room service for him anyway, “Do I have to dress up nicely?”

“Kurenai said no, but I don’t trust her when she says that. The black dress in your bag would work, I think.” He stood up and went into the bathroom, “I’m just going to rinse off, then we can go, okay?”

Sakura forgot she had no idea what he packed, pulling out the suitcase there was her black cocktail dress, a shiny gold dress and a white lacy one. There were also a couple of pairs of jeans and some shirts she liked, but she should have known these were the ones he packed. Not that she minded them, she liked them too, but he always stared at her ass a little more when she wore these ones. 

The black one was one she felt especially sexy in. It wasn’t often she wore black. For the longest time, she thought she couldn’t pull it off, but Ino had since convinced her otherwise. “Ready to go?” Kakashi stepped out of the bathroom, button up his shirt. “Holy shit,” he looked up. Sakura looked beautiful with no makeup, hair thrown up in a messy bun after an eight-hour surgery, but when she put effort and time in, she was absolutely breathtaking, “I forgot how much I like this dress.” He put his arm around her waist, “Maybe we should just stay in,” he nipped at her neck. 

“Kakashi,” she pushed him away, giggling, “We have to go! I’m curious about this place.”

Accepting defeat, he grabbed his coat and held out his arm for her to hold onto. He knew she liked wearing heels but didn’t have much practice with them. “Yeah, me too, honestly.”

~~

Kurenai did not disappoint. It was a rooftop restaurant, and it was gorgeous, plus it had an insane view. The host seated them and let them know that Kurenai had put her card down to pay for their dinner. Kakashi groaned, “That woman needs to stop meddling.”

“What do you mean?” It was maybe a bit overkill, but it was a nice gesture. 

“Well, she kept asking if I was going to purpose on this trip when I talked to her this morning. I think she’s dropping hints,” he loved Kurenai and Asuma, but sometimes he felt like they were a little too involved with his life. 

Ino and her mother had also been pestering her about settling down, particularly with Kakashi. Weddings made her feel weird, but she wasn’t opposed to building a life with him, but she was getting tired of the pressure to do so. It sounded like he was too, “Do you ever just not want to get married to spite people.”

Kakashi just grinned, “I fucking love you.”

No one knew this, mostly because he wasn’t even sure when the right time was, but he bought a ring about a year ago. He had it on him most times because he did fully intend on being with Sakura forever, but he needed her to be ready for that too, and right now, she wasn’t. And that was okay. But soon, he could feel it. Soon he’d get to give it to her. 

“I fucking love you too,” she smiled back. 

It was so funny when she cursed, borderline adorable because she was also so kind and professional when she spoke, perfect for a doctor. “So my meeting is tomorrow, but then we can grab food and head to the show?”

“Sounds good. Would it be super lame if I stayed in a read all day? I know we’re in Vegas, but there’s a book I’ve been dying to start.” She would leave out that it was a very interesting book that she found under the bed while she was cleaning up—a certain Make out Tactics book. 

“Oh, it’s super lame,” he teased, “But I’d do it too. It’s your vacation, do whatever you want.”

“Whatever I want,” she leaned in, her voice suggestive. 

God, she was hot when she got like this, “I swear after my meeting tomorrow, I am completely and entirely yours, Sakura-chan.” That wasn’t entirely true. He was always completely and entirely hers for as long as she wanted him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was hoping to have so much more posted but is it really the holiday season if everything in your life goes as planned? Alright so I know, this isn't the most exciting chapter in the world but I swear it's necessary to set up the next few chapters that are a little crazy. I thought I'd make part two of this story about cute developments in their relationship but then I was like nah, let's go to Vegas instead. Anyways, so excited for you guys to read the next few chapters! they were a little too fun to write ;) 
> 
> Also we will address the fact that Kakashi has a ring on him at all times just not right now lol


	27. Pt. 2 And I Liked it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Years guys! My life just got absolutely crazy and will be the rest of the month so updates will probably be slower. But who knows, maybe I'll stress write and come up with tons of chapters lol (Probably not but I can dream right??)

They both slept in a little. It was rare they both got to lounge in bed together. After ordering breakfast and eating, Kakashi got ready and left for his meeting. Waiting a few minutes, just to make sure he didn’t come back, Sakura pulled out the book. She was intrigued when she found it a few weeks ago, it looked well-read, but it was under the bed, which was odd. It looked like a romance novel. Kakashi was such a softie; he probably didn’t want anyone to know. She probably should have told him she found it, but he did say everything that was his was hers when they moved in together. It might be a fun surprise for him to know she read a book he clearly enjoyed so much

It was not a romance novel. Well, maybe it was, but it was a lot more than that. She was now discovering where some of his ideas in bed came from, a few of his kinks. But the biggest revelation, one she hadn’t even realized, was why he liked her wearing red so much. Luckily red was her favorite color, so she had many articles of clothing that color. But not the short strappy dress that clung to her like the book had described the main female protagonist wearing most of the novel. 

One scene, in particular, caught her attention; she might just have to try it later today. Kakashi would be getting out of his meeting in an hour or so; she had some time to kill. Sakura got dressed and texted her boyfriend.

“Going to do a little bit of shopping, be back in a couple of hours.”

Now it was time to surprise him as much as he surprised her. 

~~

The meeting was tedious. Genma did most of the talking, he would be back in six months for a big fight, which was cool, but he didn’t need to be here to talk out the details. Still, it was fun to get away from their lives in Konoha. They loved it, but it was hard not to think about work while they were home, and Sakura especially needed the break. 

Walking out, he checked his phone and smiled; he was glad she was treating herself a little. “Hey, wanna grab some lunch?” He looked up at Genma. 

“Who are you, and what have you done with Kakashi?” He teased. It used to be a job and a half to get Kakashi to go anywhere, now he was inviting him out? He should have met Sakura ages ago. 

Kakashi rolled his eyes, “I’m about to retract my invitation.”

“Relax,” he punched his friend’s arm, “let’s go. There’s a bar across the street that looks good.” The two walked over. The area they were in was extremely nice, the bar would probably be expensive, but neither of them cared, which was certainly different. “You remember when we used to steal ramen from gas stations and duct tape our pipes together?”

Kakashi scoffed, “Yeah, I was just thinking that myself. All my clothes were tattered and covered in bloodstains. But hey,” he stuck his hands in his pockets, “Hanare said it was hot.”

That was a surprise. Kakashi never brought up Hanare. “Did she now? Haven’t heard that name in a while.” 

Walking in and sitting down, Kakashi just shrugged, “Yeah,” he also realized he hadn’t said a word to Genma about her since it all happened, that was almost a decade ago. “Do you think teenage us would believe how we turned out?” Honestly, there were times in his life; he wasn’t sure he’d make it to thirty. 

“Absolutely not. We’re both dating doctors Kakashi,” he shook his head laughing, “we’re about to order twenty dollar burgers and ten dollar beers. Not that I’m complaining, I miss some of the grit of the old days, but it’s nice being able to pay rent every month.”

Kakashi smirked in agreement before ordering. “How is Shizune, by the way? I’ve caught her a few times in passing, but she’s always frantically working on something.”

“Yeah, she’s good, a workaholic as always. She said she thinks she’s ready to be my girlfriend. Been trying to get to that for like two years now,” He found Shizune absolutely mesmerizing. He knew he was in trouble when she ranted about cellular function for two hours, and he happily listened. But she always claimed not to be interested in relationships.

“Congrats, I guess. Never seen you with a girl this long.”

“Right?” his eyes widened, “I don’t know, man. Maybe living with you rubbed off on me, or maybe I’m just old. So,” his eyes narrowed, “You going to propose to Sakura anytime soon?”

This again. Genma had been asking him this question for like a year now. Usually, he said no despite having a ring in his pocket. But this time was different, “Yeah, soon. Not now, I think she’s a little scarred from her last engagement, but once she’s ready, I’m going to ask.”

“Holy shit. That’s awesome, man.”

“Well, she has to say yes first but yeah, thanks.” After they ate, they played pool, something they hadn’t done in ages. Kakashi must have been rusty because Genma demolished him. They would just have to have a rematch. 

~~

Lunch with Genma was good. It ended up being a few hours as opposed to one. Most of his day was spent away from Sakura, and while it was fun, he did find himself missing her, as pathetic as that sounded. Luckily, she had texted him as he was already on his way back that she was done and back in the room.

“Shit, I thought I’d have more time,” Sakura held onto the wall putting her last heel on. It took her a long time to find the perfect dress, but luckily this was Vegas; there were tons of stores to browse through. 

This time, for real, was the hottest he had ever seen her. He had said it before, quite a few times, actually, but he was actually speechless. Her dress was short, tight, strappy, and red. He couldn’t quite place why but there was something about it that was familiar. The look on his face was exactly what she was going for, “I thought I’d surprise you,” she walked, overthrowing her arms around his neck. 

“Well yeah, I’d say you succeeded. You look amazing,” he held on tight to her waist, “You know we didn’t really get a chance to break in this room last night,” lightly he bit the top of her shoulder. 

God, she loved it when he used his teeth on her, but she wasn’t done with her mission. Leaning in, she whispered in his ear the male protagonist’s name from the book. Pulling back, she saw his face go blank, trying to process what she just said, “You okay?” 

“I’m sorry,” he looked her up and down again, now he recognized the dress, “How did you?” But then he saw it, on the nightstand. This was either his worst nightmare or a dream come true, “Did you read Tactics?”

“Well, I got about halfway through after you left, but it gave me some ideas,” she went in for another kiss, tugging on his lower lip.

A dream come true. “What kind of ideas?”

Sakura took his hand, placing it on her upper thigh, right below the hem of her dress, guiding it up further underneath to her hips. “Page 25, 36 or 42.”

“42, huh? Didn’t take you for sex in public kind of girl.”

“And how do you know that?” She pouted, stepping back.

“Sakura,” he glanced down, “You tense up if I touch your waist in public.”

“I do not!” she protested but then paused, realizing that he was right, “Okay, maybe. But maybe we could try it? At the concert or something?”

Kakashi raised a brow, “Okay, let’s just try some touching first,” his fingers grazed her collar bone, trailing between her breasts, “but tomorrow night…” 

~~

Dinner was uneventful, Kakashi would have tried to tease her in the restaurant, but he was sitting a little too far from her. But she had made him promise they would read the rest of the Icha Icha series together when they got home. She truly was his dream girl. Afterward, they caught an Uber to the venue; it was nice but seemed small for a concert. Walking in, Kakashi noticed a poster. It was two half-naked girls leaning against each other with today’s date underneath. 

Before they went up to the ticket taker, Kakashi pulled Sakura aside. “Hey, so this isn’t a concert,” he was going to kill Genma. He probably thought this was funny. 

“What is it?” The same poster that Kakashi saw suddenly caught her eye, “Ohh…”

“Yeah. We don’t have to go. It’s Vegas. There’s plenty to do,” he wasn’t sure if naked women parading around a stage was really Sakura’s thing.

Sakura thought for a moment, “I mean we are here,” she tried to hide her interest, “might as well check it out.” She wasn’t sure why she wanted to check it out so badly, but she did. 

He should get Sakura to get out of the hospital more; she was a little wild when she wanted to be. “I mean, it would be rude not to,” he smirked, grabbing her hand, “Come on, let’s go.”

The inside was dark, tables in the audience were only lit by a candle. They sat down, ordered drinks, and waited for the show to start. Under the table, Kakashi put his hand on her thigh. “So,” he pushed his hand up her dress, playing with her panties, “Do you like girls?” 

Sakura hated how much him just tugging on her underwear was turning her on; he wasn’t even close to her clit, but it was sending chills up her spine. “I mean,” she regained her composure, “I don’t know. I kissed Ino once. We were drinking wine after I left Sasuke.” Suddenly she sat up straight as his fingers curled into her inner thigh, just brushing the outside of her panties. “And well,” she took a deep breath, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of a reaction, especially since he was doing all this with a completely straight face. “It just sort of happened, we made out for a second, but I stopped it. It didn’t feel right to do it with my best friend, you know?” 

“Makes sense. I’m Genma's first and last kiss from a guy, similar situation. So did you just not like it because she was your friend or because she was a girl?” he dug his finger into her thigh. 

“I don’t know,” she leaned into his shoulder, “You’re so mean,” she whispered as his finger lightly pressed against her clit. 

“Very mean,” he kissed the top of her head. But before Sakura could protest more, the show started. 

Kakashi took his hand out and put it around her shoulder, his fingers skimming the top of her breast, almost dipping into her dress. He caught the little glare from her when he moved his hand but teasing her was fun. Besides, he could feel the goosebumps around her collarbone while he touched her. She was fine. 

The first girl came out in a bikini covered in leather straps and chains, her whole body covered in tattoos. The music came on; it was loud and intense, not made better by the fact she brought out handcuffs. It was that kind of burlesque show. Genma also probably thought this was funny to bring Sakura too. Cute, romantic, and sometimes oblivious Sakura. But when he looked over, he realized her eyes were utterly transfixed on the woman. 

A second woman came out in white lingerie and a matching corset with little angel wings strapped onto her back. The women danced around each other, slowly taking off the superficial layers. “The girl in the black is really pretty,” Kakashi thought that was interesting. He was more partial to the girl in the white, but that all checked out considering that they were dating each other, they both had their types. As much as he liked the red dress, now he wanted her in that angel get up. 

“She is. What do you think of all this?” he pressed his fingers into her. 

“I think I want you to fuck me in the bathroom, and…” she stared a little longer at the woman who at this point was down to just a thong and pasties, “I think I want her to choke me while you do.”

Her statement caught him so off guard he let out a laugh purely because he didn’t know what else to do. Sakura whipped her head around and glared, “I’m sorry,” he kissed her, “I’m not laughing at you. I just never thought I’d hear those words come out of your mouth. I think I'm flustered,” he chuckled again. 

“Sorry?” now she wasn’t sure how to respond. 

“Don’t be. It was hot,” he lowered his arm, reaching for her side and hiking the bottom up, this time pulling on her panties enough that they pressed her already sensitive clit. 

The two women finished, and a few more came out in red with devil horns, all of them proceeding to walk down to the audience, flirting with the tables. Lucky them, the woman in black with the tattoos came to their table. Quickly Kakashi pulled his hand away. “Hello there, you two cuties.” she leaned against the table. Sakura was trying to look her in the eye, not wanting to be rude. Kakashi less so. “So, I get to pick who comes on stage tonight. Which one of you will it be?” The two looked at each other, unsure. The woman giggled, “What’s your name, sweetheart?” She brushed Sakura’s chin. 

“Sakura Haruno,” being next to the hottest man she had ever seen and the hottest woman she had ever seen was starting to fry Sakura’s brain. 

“Dr. Sakura Haruno,” Kakashi corrected. 

“Oh yeah? What kind of doctor?” She played with Sakura’s hair. 

After Sakura didn’t answer, too distracted by the girl touching her, Kakashi lent a hand, “Heart surgeon.”

“Oh shit,” The woman pointed to a scar that ran onto her chest, mostly covered by tattoos, only visible if you really looked for it. Sakura’s eyes followed, inspecting the scar, “Septal Defect,” she explained. 

“How old?” Sakura was impressed by how well it had healed. 

“Eight.”

“Wow,” she stared a little longer. Kakashi just watched and smiled, of course now she didn’t have a problem looking at the girl’s chest. “Your scar healed up nicely. If you don’t mind me asking, was there follow up after?”

Still admiring the surgeon’s work, Kakashi and the women looked at each other and smirked, both knowing Sakura would definitely be the one going out on stage, “No, just the one surgery.” Grabbing Sakura’s hand, she yanked her up, “Let’s have some fun.” Sakura quickly pulled down her skirt as Kakashi had hiked it up. Behind her, her boyfriend just smiled and waved, looking a little too excited

The woman sat her down in a chair, stepping off stage to return with handcuffs while the angel woman joined them. Kakashi had only known Sakura to be an extremely driven and focused individual. Always so calm, cool, and collected under pressure, as a heart surgeon should be. Except for right now. 

Both women started dancing against the young doctor. While the woman in white was distracted Sakura by wrapping a white feather boa around her, the other woman handcuffed her hand to the chair, whispering in her ear, “You’re ours now, doctor.”

Watching from the audience, Kakashi snickered at the look on his girlfriend’s face. She looked entirely flustered and embarrassed, but if she really didn’t want to be up there, she had no problem standing up for herself. Also, her eyes were completely fixated on the girls. He did wonder what the woman in black said to her, though. 

There were cheers in the audience as the two girls grinded and danced on top of Sakura, who was starting to relax a little more and enjoy the show. While the more angelic girl was growing on her, something about the chains and leather with tattoos peeking through was doing something for her. Maybe she had a thing for bad boys or girls in this case. 

The performance was both the longest few minutes of her life and the shortest. In the last moments, the woman in black put her hands on Sakura’s shoulders. She felt a piece of paper being slipped into her bra strap before the woman moved in between her legs, swaying her hips to the music and gripping Sakura’s thigh. As the song ended, the other woman released her from the handcuffs, and the woman in black escorted her back to Kakashi, winking before she returned to the stage. 

Sitting down, Sakura took a deep breath, “Holy shit.”

“Enjoy yourself?” Kakashi grabbed her hand, “Sure, looked like you did.”

“So much,” she cocked her head back, a massive grin on her face, “I’ve never done something like that before. It was so exciting!” The two watched as the girls finished up and applauded. “Oh!” Sakura had forgotten the slip of paper that was still pressed against her, “That girl gave me a piece of paper,” she grabbed it and opened it up. 

Kakashi knew what it was immediately, but he was excited to see Sakura figure it out. It was a number with three hearts underneath, “Look at you,” he teased.

“What?” she squinted at the paper, but after thinking about it for a few seconds, her face turned beat red, matching her dress, “Oh.”

“Come on,” he stood up, holding out his hand. She took it, still processing what had just happened. “You okay there?” He started to get a little worried about the lack of emotion on her face as they walked out. 

Finally, Sakura nodded, “Did this woman just ask us for a threesome?”

“Correction. She asked you,” he pulled her close, “I think I just get to come along for the ride,” grinning, his hand moved down her waist, “not that I mind.” 

Sakura’s head was spinning. She was replaying a memory in her head. Ino wanted to take her to a strip club for her birthday, but Sasuke asked her not to go. It made him uncomfortable, so she didn’t. While she told Ino she didn’t mind not going to the club, there was some disappointment. Part of her wanted to check it out, at least. This wasn’t quite a strip club, but she had indeed had her first lap dance. Although she didn’t expect it to be in front of fifty people, not that she really noticed them, there were a few things in front of her that distracted her from that. 

“Uh, what do I do?” She felt a bit of panic. 

He wasn’t surprised this was her reaction. Once at the gym, she walked in on him and Genma shirtless as they were training, and he thought she was going to pass out from embarrassment. She also couldn’t look him in the eye for weeks after. Leaning down next to her ear, he spoke in a low husky voice, “Well, we can call her if you want, or we can go back to the hotel room, and I can have you all to myself.”

Ino would be so proud, even more, proud if she called the girl, but there had been enough excitement for one night. “Do you think she’d be offended if I didn’t call? She was beautiful, and I mean, maybe someday…”

“Shh,” he kissed the top of her head, stopping her, “Please don’t have a threesome to spare someone’s feelings,” Sakura was the only person he knew who just might do it. “We don’t have to call, but if we don’t, we should get home now.”

“Why?” She asked innocently enough. 

Grabbing her hand, he pulled her into an ally wall between some shops, checking to make sure no one was there. “Sakura, I just watched two practically naked girls dance on you,” he kissed her neck softly, “You’re wearing the dress I literally fantasize about you wearing, and well,” his kisses trailed to the top of her breast, “I just always want to have sex with you.” Moving back up, he held her face in his hands, moving close to her lips, “Now, hotel room, or should I just fuck you right here?” 

She felt his cock pressed against her thigh from his jeans. The only experience was so overwhelming she almost forgot it also turned her on. “Hotel room,” she said softly. 

Electing not to kiss her then as he wasn’t sure if he could make it back to the room if he did, still holding her arm, they both laughed, Kakashi ordering a taxi to take them back. While they were waiting, Sakura pulled herself out of her horny daze for a moment. “I had fun tonight. Thank you, Kakashi.”

“Anytime,” he smiled down at her. It made him happy to see her like this. A smile on her face, forgetting about work and seeming to not have a care in the world. He just wished this trip was longer. One night left, he would have to come up with something good to top tonight. Also, he would have to begrudgingly thank Genma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was fun to write. I always thought that Sakura getting flustered by the reverse sexy jutsu was funny and I don't know I like writing about Sakura trying new things, she just so cute! Also I'll be honest I'm basing this whole show off of stuff I've seen in movies so sorry if it doesn't sound super realistic XD 
> 
> Hope everyone has an amazing 2021 and as always thanks for reading!


	28. Pt 2. The Dress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully I'll update at least one more time before the month ends but I'm not sure yet! My life has been dumb lately. Well not dumb but I think I might be working nights in the ER soonish??? If I do maybe I'll get some good ideas for this story XD I also moved today and I'm still in grad school so my who life is weird. This has nothing to do with the story I'm just ranting to the universe.
> 
> About the story! I've outlined the ending of this story, it's in sight, my friends, I only have the outline, not all the chapters are written so I don't know how many are left but I'm happy with how it'll wrap up. I have a lot of ideas for other stories I want to explore and I'm running out of steam for this one. But don't worry! I have a lot of fun little surprises in store before this story is over!

Chapter 28  
Luckily she hadn't drunk too much the night before, so waking up was relatively easy. The hotel served breakfast, but Kakashi had gone to a bakery because Sakura said a maple bar sounded good. Kakashi was now determined to make today absolutely perfect for her. And as hard as Sakura tried to keep him from going because of how impractical he was being, but she lost. However, it wasn't all bad; there was something she wanted to do. 

"Ino, I had a lap dance." She blurted out as soon as the line picked up. 

"Hello Sakura," the voice was low and monotone. It was Sai, Ino's boyfriend, "Congrats."

She really had to stop doing that. Ino was a social person and usually had a lot of people around her, and she had already embarrassed herself in front of Shikamaru. "Sorry, Sai," she groaned. 

In the background, she heard Ino's voice, "Give me that. Sorry, I was cooking, so I told Sai to answer. What's up?"

Shaking off the mishap, Sakura's enthusiasm came back, "I went to a burlesque show, got brought up on stage and had a lap dance," she tried not to sound too excited but failed miserably. 

"Oh yeah?" Ino sounded intrigued, "what did you think?"

"It was amazing," Sakura fell back onto the bed, "I mean, I know it sounds dumb, but it was so fun, and the girls were so pretty and… hot," she squealed, "I just had so much fun last night Ino. It's been a while since I've enjoyed myself so much."

There was a chuckle on the other end, "It's not dumb; you deserve to have a little fun. I didn't realize there was a burlesque show in town, though."

It hit her no one knew she was in Las Vegas, besides Kakashi and Genma, of course, "Oh yeah, so yesterday Kakashi surprised me by driving us to Vegas."

"Seriously? That sounds fun. He's a good one, Sakura; you keep him around. So you thought the girls were hot, huh?" her voice became more suggestive.

"She asked Kakashi and me for a threesome," she blurted again, "we didn't do it, though."

There was a silence on the other side for a moment, "Why not?" 

"I don't know. I was all flustered because I started the night by asking Kakashi to touch me in public. Then we realized the show was a burlesque one, then the lap dance… It was a lot, okay?" She started to get defensive. 

Again Ino chuckled at her friend's frantic response, "That's totally fine, Sakura, I was just curious. But touching in public? Never thought I'd see the day," she teased. "You've been more adventurous these past three years with Kakashi than the six you were with Sasuke, I'm impressed."

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Yeah, Sasuke was a missionary only kind of guy. Don't get me wrong, it's nice sometimes but not every time," she groaned. "I honestly didn't know how fun sex could be."

"You sound happy forehead," Ino remarked. Sakura could almost feel her friend's warm smile as she said it, "you are right?"

"So happy." The two girls caught up some more. With their busy schedules lately, their weekly lunches had slowly turned to monthly ones, and sometimes they even had to bail on that. But hopefully, once Sakura became an attending, she'd have a little more time on her hands. Even so, the thing she loved most about Ino was that it didn't matter the time, circumstances, or time since they last saw each other. She could go to her for anything. 

After talking, Ino shook her head and smiled, looking back to her boyfriend, “So Sakura and Kakashi are in Vegas. Think they’ll get married?”

Sai shrugged, “I don’t know either of them well, but something tells me…” he tried to pull a read on the two, “no, they’re not. Too responsible.”

“Oh, Sai,” Ino kissed the top of his head before finishing the food she was making, “It’s exactly because they’re so responsible that they’ll do something so stupid.”  
~~

Kakashi came back shortly after the phone call ended, maple bars in hand. "Alright, princess. Any requests for today?"

Sakura thought for a moment, "Do you know how to gamble?"

He knew she meant cards games, but he could help think of his underground fighting days, that was sort of gambling, "I have a good enough idea. I'm not very good, though. Did you want to go to a casino?"

"I think so. I've never been to one, and I'm curious," this had officially become the weekend of trying new things. 

"Okay, let's do it then. Any other requests?"

There was one more thing, it was something that in three years she hadn't really seen him do, "We have to get drunk. Both of us," she grinned, "I’ve seen you maybe buzzed at most, but I want to see you actually drunk.”

It was true. Kakashi liked a beer or two from time to time, but he tried to avoid getting too wasted, especially in front of Sakura. The alcohol brought out a bit of a wild side in him. For example, Guy and Genma once had to stop him from climbing on top of Genma’s car on the highway because he wanted to “go surfing.” But it had been years since he had been actually drunk, plus he was older now, surely he could keep a handle on himself. “If that’s what you want, we can do that. Genma is going to a club tonight, want to go?”

“Yes!” Sakura perked up. It felt like she was in college again, “Have I ever told you you spoil me too much?”

“Once or twice,” he kissed her cheek, “but you’re fun to spoil. Now get dressed, let’s head to the casino.”

Looking at the clock Sakura looked confused, “It’s eleven Kakashi, a bit early, isn’t it?”

Kakashi just shrugged, “It’s Vegas. Time isn’t real.”

~~

Between an ex underground fighter and a heart surgeon, one would think that the skillset for successfully gambling. But there was not, Kakashi knew how to play the games, and Sakura picked it up quickly enough, but boy were they unlucky. 

“I never want to gamble again,” Sakura admitted defeat. They had lost about two hundred dollars in the span of three hours. “Why do people like this?”

The only time Kakashi had ever gone gambling was with Asuma and Kurenai, who were crazy good. He was convinced Kurenai could count cards. But on his own, he was pretty shitty. “Well, because they aren’t terrible at it like we are.”

“Fair,” the two walked out of the casino together, squinting at the bright late afternoon light. It was like emerging from a cave. “Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, shoot.” The two started walking back to the room together. 

It was a difficult question to articulate for Sakura, but she had been curious ever since they met, “Why don’t you drink? Like I’ve seen you drink, but you always stop yourself after two or three, then chug water.” Her voice started to become rushed, “not that there’s anything wrong with that. You don’t have to be drunk to have a good time. Genma just told me you used to-”

“Sakura,” he hummed, “You’re getting nervous. Relax.” Sakura took a deep breath, doing precisely that. “You can ask your boyfriend of three years questions like that, you know. It’s a reasonable question. I just used to go kind of crazy when I drank, and I didn’t want you to have to deal with it. That’s all.”

“Oh,” it was a simpler answer than she expected, “Well, you can be crazy in front of me,” she held his hand tighter, “I think I can deal.”

Well, that wasn’t true. He was much stronger than Sakura, and usually, he needed two full-grown men to hold him down from doing something incredibly stupid. But again, hopefully, that was in his past, “I’ll keep that in mind. It should be fine, though. I’m an old man now I’ll just fall asleep in a bush or something.”

“If you fall asleep in a bush, I’m leaving you there,” Sakura poked. However, she did run through a plan in her head if that were to happen.

“Noted. Anything else you want to do tonight? Just getting drunk is a little…” he regretted this train of thought. 

Sakura crossed her arms, “Lame. You were going to say lame, weren’t you.”

“Yeah,” he gave her a soft smile, “I was.”

“Fine. If you’re going to be like that. You also have to dance with me!” She declared a little too loudly in the lobby.

He should have let it be. Kakashi hated dancing, but he had already told himself he wasn’t allowed to say no to Sakura this weekend, “Fine. One song.”

If she pushed, she could get more out of him, but she knew dance floors weren’t really his thing. “One song, huh? Better make it special then.”

~~

“I think I’m going to wear this one tonight,” Sakura spun around. A white dress with long sleeves, covered in lace.

“Looks good,” Kakashi grabbed the hem of it and pulled her closer, “But I bet it’d look better off you.”

Pressing her hand on Kakashi’s chest, she gave the wickedest grin she could before pushing him onto the bed. “Down, boy. We have to meet Genma. You don’t want him walking in on us again, do you?”

He had made sure Genma didn’t have a copy of his room key this time, but he was good, a little too good. Nothing was safe. “Fine,” he groaned, standing back up, “But it does look good. I like white on you.”

Dangerous territory, both of them stopped, and there was an awkward moment of silence about the implications of what he just said. “Yeah, thanks,” Sakura spoke up, changing the subject, “I’m going to do my make up in the bathroom. You should wear that leather jacket. It looks good on you.”

Once Sakura was safely in the next room, Kakashi felt the ring box in his pocket. He probably wouldn’t need it for tonight. Then again, he didn’t need it most days, but he would hate himself if the opportunity presented itself and he wasn’t prepared. 

The club was nice, like really nice. Everything was so sleek. Genma told them he met the promoter at a fight last year who invited him to come by the next time he was in Vegas, so they got to avoid the cover. Lights were flashing and the music blaring, honestly, Sakura felt a little over-stimulated by anything. 

“Hey,” Kakashi pulled her closer to him, “You say the word, and we can get out of here.” He had been dating her long enough to be able to read her expressions. Sakura nodded and smiled, nuzzling into his side. 

“Hello, lovebirds!” Genma came up from behind, almost singing, “How was the show last night? Ai told me it seemed like Sakura here had a good time.”

For a moment, Sakura’s heart stopped beating, how did he know? But before she could say anything, Kakashi hit the side of Genma’s head, “Ow!” It wasn’t hard, but Genma liked to be a drama queen, especially in front of Kakashi. “Oh, come on, it wasn’t that bad,” he started laughing, “Although I’m surprised you guys didn’t go for the threesome.”

Sakura quickly hid her face. She and Genma had gotten closer over the years but not this close. “I swear if you don’t shut up, I’m going to kick your ass. How do you know that girl anyway?”

He did feel bad for embarrassing Sakura. Teasing Kakashi was one thing, but sometimes he forgot to dial it down around her. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” he looked at Sakura, “I went on a few dates with her a while back. It wasn’t meant to be, but we stayed friends, and she gave me the tickets, not the fight promoters like I told you,” he gave a nervous laugh, “Thought it’d be funny.”

“Well,” Sakura spoke up quietly, “it wasn’t funny, but it was fun.”

Genma, grinning ear to ear, leaned in, “Didn’t quite hear that. What did you say?”

“Shut up,” Kakashi rolled his eyes, “Why don’t you make yourself useful and grab us some shots. First-round is on you.”

It was probably for the best not to test his luck anymore. “Yeah yeah, what do you want?”

“Vodka?” He looked at Sakura, she nodded back, “Can you grab me like three?”

“Three?” Genma was about to walk to the bar but stopped, “Kakashi Hatake, are you trying to get drunk?” 

“Yes, he is!” Sakura said, almost proudly, “he promised me he would.”

Genma just chuckled, “Oh man, Sakura, you’re in for a treat.” With that, he walked away, returning shortly with more shots than they asked him for initially. Genma knew Kakashi a little too well. 

“Alright,” Genma handed them out, “Let’s see here,” he thought for a second, “Let’s cheers to… To Pakkun! Wish you were here, buddy.”

The couple looked at each other but just shrugged. Hopefully, Konohamaru was taking care of him like they asked him to. “To Pakkun,” Sakura and Kakashi raised their glasses, and the three took their shots. Immediately after, Kakashi and Genma took two more, almost racing to see who could do them faster. 

“How do you do that?” Sakura marveled. She was impressed with herself being able to do it without a chaser, but she needed to recover and cringed at the burning sensation. 

“You can’t judge us,” Kakashi took the last shot while Genma ordered them actual cocktails from the waitress. Both of them could tell he was trying not to flirt with and doing well, even though she was trying to work him for tips. “But Genma and I used to be broke, but we also loved getting drunk, so we might have drunk hand sanitizer once or twice…” He swore to himself he would never tell his doctor girlfriend this. Maybe the alcohol was starting to hit, “After that, you can drink just about anything.”

Sakura’s jaw dropped, “I’m judging you,” she lightly punched his shoulder, to which he just laughed, “That’s so dangerous! What were you guys thinking?”

“We literally weren’t,” Genma shook his head, “That was kind of the problem. We were nineteen and dumb.”

The waitress brought the group another round of drinks and shots, “God, when I was nineteen, the worst thing I had done was get drunk and go swim in our school’s fountain. You two were wild.”

Kakashi pressed his forehead against the side of her face, “I would have loved to see that one.”

“Ew,” Genma glared, “The more alcohol he gets in his system, the more affection he becomes. Just warning ya.”

“Got it,” she ordered another shot while still working on her drink, trying to catch up. Kakashi just stole Genma’s drink. “So, do you guys want to dance?” 

There was a very lively dance floor down below them. Genma just groaned, “I shouldn’t, I’m trying to be good.” 

“Come on,” Kakashi stood up, “Let’s go.”

That was a surprise to both Sakura and Genma. Getting Kakashi to dance was pulling teeth even if he had promised her earlier in the night. “Oh, okay,” Sakura grabbed his hand and walked off with him. She and Genma exchanged glances as they walked away. 

There was another bar by the dance floor, and Kakashi convinced her to take one more shot with him before they danced. “You’re hard to keep up with,” Sakura cringed at that last shot. Standing up and walking around was causing the alcohol to hit her a little more. 

“Sorry, I tend to drink fast when I’m actually trying to get drunk, but I think it’s starting to hit me. How are you doing?” The flashing lights and music were starting to get fuzzy. The only thing that felt in focus was her, not that he minded. 

Heels were a bad choice, but she was having fun. Kakashi’s expression was similar to the one he had when they first met; his face was softer, and his eyes less intense. He was cute when he was a little out of it. “Perfect,” she reached up to kiss his cheek, stumbling as she did. 

“Woah there,” Kakashi’s reflexes were a bit dulled, but if there was anything that could sober him up, even momentarily, it was catching his girlfriend. “Are you sure you want to dance?”

“Well,” her body was pressed against his, “what else would we do?” 

Looking down at the seemingly innocent face with wicked eyes, Kakashi grinned, his hand traveling down her waist, “I’m going to take one more shot, then we’re going to ditch Genma. Sounds good?”

“Sounds perfect,” Sakura debated taking one more herself, but every second that went by, she was starting to feel it just a little more. 

“Alright, my love,” he kissed the top of her head before order another shot, thinking to himself that he should slow down. He was officially thirty. After all, he couldn’t drink like he was nineteen anymore. Walking out of the club, Kakashi kept checking to make sure Genma couldn’t see them. “I think we’re in the clear,” Kakashi pulled them out and lifted Sakura into his arms. 

“Why do you always do this? I can walk in heels while I’m drunk… I’m just a little slower,” she pouted. 

Cupping the curve of her ass in his hand Kakashi nuzzled his head into her, “I know I just like to touch you. What should we do?” 

Sakura thought for a moment, “No fucking clue,” she started to laugh. They hadn’t really thought through anything, “Just don’t drop me, please. I like this dress, and it’s white, no getting it dirty!”

It was a pretty dress, looking her over, smiling and her cheeks tinted red from the drinks, “I would argue I’m stronger while drunk.” Genma and Guy would also argue this, and he certainly was. This was going to hurt the next morning. “But I’ll set you down,” and so he did because he might be strong but definitely not coordinated, and now she was getting a bit fuzzy. 

“Kakashi,” she sang, “I want to do something dumb. I feel like I’m always so responsible. It’s annoying.”

In his pocket, he felt the little box that was always on him. “Dumb, huh?”

~~

Bonus:

“Shit.” Looking over the rail after almost an hour of them being gone, Genma then realized he had completely lost track of his very drunk friends. “Shit shit shit,” running out, Genma looking up and down the strip. Taking out his phone, he tried both their phones. Straight to voicemail. Then he tried a third number, “Babe, I lost them.”

“Who?” Shizune sounded like she was still working. 

“Kakashi and Sakura. I think they ditched me, and they’re trashed.”

“And you’re not?” 

“No,” he sighed, “Getting drunk without you. There just feels lame.”

“How chivalrous,” he could almost hear her eye rolls. 

Genma snickered before remembering his predicament, “Alright, well, I should probably try to find them. 

“Good luck with that. I'll reward you when you get back,” that part sounded hushed. She was probably at the hospital with other people around.

“How? Talk dirty to me,” Genma wasn’t sure if he was joking or not. But the line went silent. He pushed his luck a little too much. But now he had a mission: Find Kakashi and Sakura.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I firmly believe these two are the world's most boring couple under normal circumstances so I love them getting a little chaotic sometimes ;) (But I also love them being boring and eating friend rice). Poor Genma he's just trying to be a good friend and got the short end of the stick. 
> 
> Get ready because starting the next chapter we enter "The Hangover" arc. I might have to rewatch it now. 
> 
> Also, side note. My friend whose also in the medical field and I were talking and agree if Sakura handled the pandemic it would be over already and I thought I would share that revalation


	29. Pt 2. That's What You Get For Waking Up in Vegas

“Shit,” Kakashi groaned, trying to sit up. They had made it back to the hotel, at least. Sakura was still in her dress, her hair messy and make-up smudged. She turned over, placing her hand on her chest. And there it was, the ring. Searching his pocket, he found the box that was indeed empty. He must have gotten excited last night and did something stupid like propose. 

Check out was in an hour, but there was no way they’d be ready to go by then. It looks like he’d have to pay for another day, which was fine by him. He just had to get her back for work the next morning, and this way, they could get some rest before a long drive. 

Trying carefully to slip the ring off, hoping she would forget he gave it to her in the first place, Sakura started to wake up slowly. Luckily he succeeded in hiding the ring before she came completely to. “I feel dead,” Sakura dropped back into the bed, “Am I dead?”

“No, just hungover,” he ran his fingers through her hair, catching them in a tangle, “and beautiful.”

“Don’t lie to me,” she moaned, forcing herself up, trying to get out of bed. But as soon as her feet hit the ground, she fell. “Fuck, that hurts!” she grabbed her leg. 

Despite his head also pounding, Kakashi jumped out of bed and rushed to her side, inspecting her ankle, it was purple and swollen, “I think you sprained your ankle.” He might not be a doctor, but he had had enough of them himself to be able to recognize them. “You okay?”

“No, not really,” she clung onto his neck, “will you help me into the bath? I feel gross. There’s some Advil in my bag.” Now she was starting to feel all the aches in her body. Getting drunk was a bad idea. 

Kakashi lifted her up and set her down gently in the tub. While she stripped her clothes off, he grabbed the medicine taking some himself before handing her a glass of water and two pills for herself. As the water filled the tub Sakura draped herself over the side, “We should probably get that looked at before we leave,” he looked at the ankle again. It was a bad one. He wondered how she made it back here. 

“Yeah, we should make sure it’s not broken, and I’ll probably need crutches,” Sakura hid her face, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have suggested getting drunk. That was a terrible idea.”

Kakashi smirked, “Come on now. It must have been fun if we feel this shitty now. You get cleaned up, and I’ll order us some food.”

“Okay,” she sulked a little, carefully lowering her body into the water that was quickly filling the tub. “Can you get me a muffin,” she added as Kakashi left the bathroom. 

“Yeah,” he called back. Sitting down, he realized he had no idea where his phone was. After looking around a little, he decided to let it go. There were bigger fish to fry. But he did find Sakura’s that was completely dead, so after throwing it on the charger, he used the hotel phone to order them breakfast. Getting up to check on Sakura, he heard the rustle of a piece of paper in his back pocket. Pulling it out, something stronger than coffee hit him. “Holy shit,” quickly he rushed into the bathroom, “Sakura!” 

Kakashi shoved the piece of paper into her face. She had never seen him so panicked. Looking it over, her expression started to match his, “We’re married!?” 

~~

After getting Sakura out of the bath and dressed, a two-person job in her condition, they checked her phone and found several missed calls from both Genma and Shizune. Kakashi looked for his phone some more, but it was getting more and more likely that it wasn’t in this room. “Okay, I know the marriage thing is a lot, and we’ll figure it out, but I want to get you to urgent care first. I’m going to call Genma to help me bring you down. Also, I think I’m still a little drunk and shouldn’t drive.” So much for a relaxing and fun vacation. 

“Good idea,” she laid in bed. Even with the Advil, her ankle was still throbbing. Hopefully, the doctor could give her something a little stronger. Then she could focus on the other disaster on their hands. There was no way they were actually married, right?

Kakashi hung up and grabbed a jacket for Sakura, “Genma was actually on his way anyways. He tried to see if we were here last night, but the hotel wouldn’t let him up. I know you have work tomorrow, but I think you should call out tomorrow.”

Sakura held out her hand, and Kakashi placed the phone in it. Dialing, she put the phone on speaker while she focused her energy on not feeling the pain in her ankle. “Morning Sakura, are you enjoying your little vacation?”

Sakura groaned, “Uh, I was but less so now… I may have sprained my ankle, like really bad.”

Tsunade could hear the strain in her voice, “Well, I can get you out of rounds tomorrow. Just use a wheelchair to check on a couple of patients, and you can just work on paperwork in your office.”

“About that… I don’t think I can come into work tomorrow…” She hated telling her boss that. There was nothing she hated more than letting people down. 

Her voice became harsh, “You better have a good reason Haruno.” Tsunade calling her Haruno was like her mother using her middle name. 

Looking at Kakashi as if for help, she sighed as she told her boss the very good reason. “Well, I was drunk last night, and now I’m married, so I think I also have to get that annulled, there’s just a lot going on, and I would appreciate an extra day.”

There was silence for a moment, “Married to Kakashi, right?”

“Of course!” Well, she could now be grateful that she at least drunkenly married the right guy. 

Then there was just laughter, “Okay, okay, I’ll cover you tomorrow. And don’t worry, it’s actually really easy to get an annulment in your situation. If you have any hiccups, give me a call.”

It seemed to Sakura that her boss was speaking from experience, “Right… will do. Thanks, Tsunade.”

“Yeah, but you owe me big time. Take care of yourself, Sakura, and I’ll see you soon.” Before Sakura could respond, the call ended, a very Tsunade way of ending a call. 

“Well, that could have been worse,” she looked to Kakashi, trying to find any silver lining she could. 

There was a part of him that was a little upset by the word annulment. Finding out they were married was a shock, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to reverse it. “Yeah,” he helped her up and lifted her up, for the first time not trying to cop a feel. “Genma should be here any minute. Let’s get today over with.”

~~

At first, Kakashi wasn’t going to tell Genma about the marriage part, but he was still salty about Sakura wanting to get it annulled, so he brought it up. It resulted in a long and loud lecture from Genma the entire way to the doctors. 

Genma decided to stay in the car while they went to see the doctor. He agreed to pick them all up some coffee. They were going to need it if they were going to figure everything out. “Why did you tell him?” Sakura complained as they walked into the waiting room. She already hated that she had to tell Tsunade; the whole thing was embarrassing. 

“Was I not supposed to?” This time he just supported her with his body as they walked into the office. Kakashi sat her down on the chair before going to check them in, “It’s not like it matters. We’re just going to get it annulled anyway.” The comment came off with a bit more bite than he intended, but he was already talking to the receptionist. 

Sakura sure felt it. Did he not want to annul it? They had talked about marriage a few times, but this didn’t seem right. But then again, a big wedding sounded worse. Once Kakashi came back, there was an awkward silence before a nurse came in with a wheelchair to take them back. After getting an X-ray, the nurse dropped them off in a room and told them to wait for the doctor to come back. “Do you not want to get an annulment?” Sakura looked up at him. She couldn’t stand the weird tension.

“I mean, we probably should,” he wasn’t lying. 

“You didn’t answer my question,” Sakura glared. But before they could finish the conversation, the doctor came in, followed by the nurse. 

“So, Sakura, I hear we have a sprained ankle,” he sat on in his chair and inspected it, “looks pretty swollen.”

Sakura winced as he touched it, trying to gauge how swollen it was. “Yeah, I think my ligaments are pretty torn up. It doesn’t feel stable what’s so ever, and I can’t move it, even after taking ibuprofen.”

The doctor looked impressed, “Doctor or nurse?”

“Heart surgeon,” even when a little upset, Kakashi still liked answering that question. He always beamed a little when he did. 

“Ah,” he pulled up her x-ray. “Well, it’s not broken, so I think you’re right. I’ll grab you some crutches, painkillers, and your,” he looked up at Kakashi, “boyfriend or husband?”

The two looked at each other nervously, “Uh well, I guess he’s my husband,” Sakura finally answered, albeit uncertainly. 

“Let me guess, you two got drunk and married last night,” he crossed his arms and looked at the couple. The two were too shocked to respond, “I’ve been an urgent care doctor in Vegas for over a decade, I see this like three times a week. Anyways your husband is just going to have to help you out a lot the next couple of days, and you’ll heal. Rest, ice, compression, and elevation, but you know that.”

Kakashi noticed the nurse staring at him, but not the way women usually do. She looked like she had something to say. “Um,” she spoke softly, everyone in the room looking at her. “I’m sorry but are you Kakashi Hatake, the MMA fighter?”

“Uh yeah,” he stared blankly. He really didn’t want to give an autograph or picture right now. 

“Nurse Ani, please don’t bother our patients like this,” the doctor scolded, “they’ve had a hard enough night.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just, I think my boyfriend married you two last night,” she winced. 

“Well, I’m going to get you guys those painkillers and crutches. I’m sure you’ll have a lot to talk to nurse Ani about,” the doctor got up and left, not wanting to deal with this so early in the morning. 

Ani told them that her boyfriend worked at one of those chapels by the strip and came home this morning raving about how his favorite MMA fight came in trashed, and he got to marry them. Kakashi took out the marriage certificate, and she confirmed it was her boyfriend’s signature. Together they called him and told them to meet him at the chapel because he had a couple of pictures that they had actually told him they would come back for. Neither of them had any recollection of this. After thanking the nurse and getting the crutches, the two headed out to Genma’s car. 

As they walked out, Sakura stopped them before they reached the car. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have just decided that we would annul it. Once we figured out what happened, we should talk about it. I just panicked.”

“It’s okay, sorry I got all pissy about it. It’s just…” he wasn’t sure how to explain it. 

But luckily, Sakura interjected, “I liked calling you my husband,” with that, she hobbled up to the care where Genma got out to open the door for her as Kakashi followed, happy about what she had just said.

Kakashi told Genma what they had just learned, and the group headed towards the chapel. “Ya know, this whole thing is really bringing me back. Remember when we thought I had gotten drunkenly married?” 

“Yeah,” Kakashi looked back at Sakura, “We were like twenty-two, and he woke up next to a girl who told him they were married now. It turns out she was just really into him and lying, but still, we had to do some investigating to figure it out.”

“Ah. I can’t say I have any similar stories to this,” although she kind of wished she did. Her life was pretty dull compared to Kakashi’s. “Although I did assist on a stomach surgery where the guy swallowed his wedding ring. Not really related, but ya know,” she could feel the pain killers kick in. 

Both men could hear her words start to slur, “You okay there, doc?” Genma began to snicker, “Sound relaxed.”

Sakura grunted, “Yeah. Good news. My ankle doesn’t hurt.”

“Very good news,” Kakashi threw his arm back, and she reached for it. 

“Maybe we shouldn’t get the marriage annulled. I could be Mrs. Hatake… Or you could be Mr. Haruno!” Sakura started to get comfortable in her seat. 

Genma just grinned at his friend, who was trying not to laugh, “I think that’s a great idea, Sakura,” Genma added. “Okay, I think this is it.” They pulled into the parking lot, and the two men got out. 

Kakashi went to the side Sakura was on and opened the door. “You can wait in here if you want. You should really rest” luckily, the nurse had also wrapped her ankle, but even though the wrap still looked swollen. 

“No way!” Sakura sat up straight, moving her crutches out of the car, adjusting herself to get out. 

He wasn’t surprised by her answer. These were her wedding photos they were about to go see. “Wait,” he took the crutches, “Genma can you take these?” From the other side Genma came over and took the crutches while Kakashi bent over with his back to her, “Get on and try to relax, okay?”

While there was a bit of her pride telling her not to get a piggyback ride from her boyfriend, she felt a little out of it and exhausted. “Thanks,” she grabbed his neck, and he carefully adjusted her before they walked in. “I love you,” Sakura said softly in his ear. 

“I love you too,” Kakashi did his best to look back at her. Genma just rolled his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys know I really resisted the urge to make this just The Hangover where Genma was Doug and Kakashi and Sakura woke up next to a tiger. It would have been funny but a 10 chapter side story haha
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading!


	30. Pt. 2 Playing Detective

The chapel was supposed to be closed, but they found the door unlocked and a man standing at the front, scrolling on his phone. “Hey,” he looked up at the group, “my girlfriend said you guys would be by.” But upon seeing Sakura, still, on Kakashi’s back, he snickered, “It’s been like ten hours since I’ve seen you guys, what trouble did you get in after you left?”

“We don’t even remember being here,” Kakashi hoisted Sakura up. She was doing him no favors, slouching and barely holding on to him. Maybe he should have pushed harder for her to stay in the car. He also didn’t trust her to stand on crutches at the moment.

“Yeah! Are we really married, or is it a prank? Are you pranking us?” Sakura interjected, pointing her figure at the guy, her words starting to slur. 

Kakashi gave the guy an apologetic look, “Sorry, she’s had a few painkillers, we’ve had a long morning,” he groaned, “but we’re just trying to figure out if the marriage is legitimate.”

“It is, but before we talk about it more, wait right there,” the guy ran to the back and came back with a bean bag chair. “We keep these in the staff room, but it might be good for the doctor here.” Setting them down, he helped Sakura down from Kakashi’s back, guiding her to the cushion. 

“Thanks,” Kakashi adjusted his back. Usually, he could carry her no problem, but his whole body ached when he woke up, and it hadn’t subsided. Maybe once this was all over, he could get one of those pills Sakura got. “How did you know she was a doctor?”

“Well, when I said ‘Sakura Haruno do you take this man…’ you corrected me and said ‘Dr. Sakura Haruno’,” after making sure Sakura was settled, he pulled out a picture on his phone. It was them, at the altar in front of them, Kakashi’s arm around her waist pulling her tight and Sakura laughing while their foreheads touched. They looked so happy. “You guys are a cute couple.”

Trying to sit back up but failing and giving into the bean bag and said, rather loudly and enthusiastically, “Fuck yeah, we are! We’re so cute!”

Matching her energy, Genma answered, “Yeah, you guys are!” Handing Kakashi her crutches, he lowered his voice, “Alright, I’ll be in the car, I’m going to ask Asuma what your guy’s options are. Although for the record,” he tapped Kakashi’s chest with his knuckle, “I’m on team stay married.”

Kakashi almost stopped Genma. He didn’t really want a lot of people knowing about this, but then again, it could be worse than Asuma, and the sooner he could figure out this mess, the better. “Thanks,” he sighed, “and me too.”

“Same,” the guy nodded, “sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt, but again, you guys are cute. Your vows made me tear up a little.”

Genma turned around, looking a little too excited, “Wait, what did they say?”

Car. Now.” he turned Genma around for him, waiting for him to leave before continuing. “Okay, give it to me straight. What happened last night?”

“Wait!” Sakura shouted, “I can’t hear you guys, come closer or talk louder,” she whined. 

The two men complied, Kakashi even sitting on the floor next to her, “Okay, let’s hear it.” Sakura nuzzled up next to him as they listened. 

“Well, you two came in, plastered and taking turns drinking out of a plastic bottle of tequila,” Kakashi winced at that image. “And you said you proposed, and you guys were going to get married. Dr. Haruno had a pretty big rock on her finger too.”

Sakura looked at her hand. Now that she thought about it having a ring did sound familiar, “Where would we have gotten a ring?” She looked at a guilty-looking Kakashi. 

Groaning, Kakashi pulled the ring out of his pocket. “I was thinking about proposing to you on this trip. I decided not to because of that talk we had in the car, but I still had it on me.” He handed it back over, “You were wearing it when you woke up. I thought I might have just drunkenly proposed, so I took it back, but I guess it’s really yours now.” Holding her hand, he slipped it on. 

“See? Cute!” The guy snapped a picture of the moment, “but yeah, anyways, I married you guys, you called an Uber, and that was the last I saw of you. Uh,” he noticed that the two weren’t listening anymore. Instead, they were staring into each other’s eyes. “I’ll just be outside…” Still, they didn’t acknowledge him, so he awkwardly stepped past them and headed out. 

“Sorry, I stole your ring. I panicked.” He leaned in closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, “think you can forgive me?” 

Sakura was still silent, unsure how to process everything. Her brain was still a bit fuzzy. But there was one thing she was sure of. She pressed her lips against his, cradling the side of his face in her palm. Pulling back, she touched her lips, “You know, we never got to hear what we said in our vows.”

It was true they didn’t, but Kakashi didn’t mind. He smiled at her, playing with a few loose strands of her hair, “Sakura when I say the words that mean I’m going to spend the rest of my life with you, I want you to remember them. Is it okay if we keep it a mystery?”

“Yeah, that’s okay. But I want to hear them tomorrow, got it?” She poked his chest, looking very determined. 

“You’re going to have to wait until our wedding day for that one, my love,” it wasn’t often he called her pet names, only when he felt especially affectionate.

While at the doctor’s, Sakura accidentally walked off with a pen in her pocket. Quickly she remembered it was there and took it out, pulling it apart and shaking it upside down until a small metal coil came out. Kakashi just watched, trying to figure out what she was doing and admiring the serious look on her face. He wondered if this is what she looked like in surgery. 

Stretching the coil out and twisting it into a ring, Sakura grabbed her husband’s hand and put the makeshift ring on. “We’re already married. And I intend to stay that way. It doesn’t have to be tomorrow, but I want to hear your vows, okay?” Tears started to swell under her eyes. 

Looking down at his hand, he liked that this ring was more his style than anything he could ever find in a store. But looking up, he noticed a droplet rolling down her cheek, “hey,” he cupped her face in his hands, “Are you okay?” 

“I’m just so happy,” she gave her best smile, “Let’s just stay married, okay? I love you.”

Kakashi tried not to laugh, but a few chuckles slipped out. “Okay,” he kissed her forehead, “let’s talk about this tomorrow.”

“Call me your wife,” she asked almost desperately.

There was a shimmer in her eyes from her tears and a smile, shaking from her lip quiver. She would be so embarrassed later when the painkillers wore off, but he thought she looked so cute. “Yes, wife,” he kissed her cheek, “now come on,” he spoke softly, “we figured out the marriage was real, but we should get you back to the hotel. You need to rest up.”

Trying to compose herself, Sakura nodded, wiping her tears away. After she calmed down, Kakashi lifted her on his back again and grabbing her crutches, getting them back to the car. Genma was talking to the guy who had sent their friend pictures from the night before. 

Snickering as he scrolled through his phone Genma teased the couple, “How do you both still look so good when you’re so trashed?” 

Shoving the phone into Kakashi’s face, therefore Sakura’s as she was still on his back. They were both definitely drunk, no way around it. The biggest giveaway was how red Sakura’s face was and the giant smile on Kakashi’s. But this time, Kakashi was holding her bridal style while Sakura unbuttoned his shirt. “Oh god,” Sakura looked a little disgusted, “I’m so sorry,” she looked at their officiant, “thank you for putting up with us.”

He shrugged, “No worries. I’ve had people try to have sex right after. You two were just handsy. Especially the doctor here.”  
~~

Sakura had fallen asleep on the way back to the hotel. Quietly Genma and Kakashi got out to talk without disrupting her, but not before Kakashi took off his jacket to lay on her. He took a moment to watch the smart, funny, beautiful, and sometimes crazy woman who had turned his life upside down. His wife. 

“Hey,” Genma tapped his shoulder, breaking Kakashi from his trance. “I know you two are all super in love right now, but I would really like to go home.”

Closing the door carefully, Kakashi turned to his friend, “Yeah, you’re free to go. Thanks for your help this morning.”

“Of course, man,” the two hit their hands together, pulling into the closest thing to a hug either of them will ever get. “Oh, and Asuma said if you get married in Vegas, you have to get annulled in Vegas within thirty days. So you might want to make a stop at the courthouse on your way out tomorrow. If you decide to go that route.” A grin started to form on Genma’s face, “But I’m still team stay married.”

Looking back at Sakura to make sure she was still asleep, he smiled, “Yeah, me too. But we’ll talk about it when she’s a little more lucid. Asuma have any snide remarks about me being married?” He almost didn’t want to ask. 

“Oh, just a few, Kurenai has some word for you. Your lucky your phone is probably in a storm drain somewhere,” despite how insane the last twenty-four hours had been, Genma had fun. It brought him back to when crazy shit happened to the two of them almost every night. “I wonder how she hurt herself, though. She looked fine in the wedding photos.”

“Yeah, it’s weird, I don’t know…”

~~

Taking pity on his obviously exhausted friend, Genma offered to carry Sakura on his back to the room. She woke up a little a first but was knocked out again by the time they made it to the lobby. Kakashi got them another night at the front desk. Then they went up. He was hoping he could finally get some sleep. 

After setting Sakura down, Genma’s phone started to ring. Pulling it out, he looked confused, “Ai?” Walking to the other side of the room so give Sakura some quiet. 

Ai. He had heard that name before. It sounded so familiar, but he could barely piece together his name right now. 

The looks on Genma's face turned from shock to laughter, and he gestured for Kakashi to come over, “Ai, I’m going to put you on speaker. Tell Kakashi what you just told me.”

“Is my little doctor there too?” she hummed.

The second he heard her voice, he knew exactly who she was. That dancer that gave Sakura her number. This couldn’t be good, “No, she’s asleep. She sprained her ankle last night.”

“Hmm, I had a feeling that might be the case,” he couldn’t help but notice that she sounded just as groggy as he was. “I called Genma to check on you guys, and he told me you didn’t remember a thing. Want me to fill you in?”

Kakashi pulled Genma into the bathroom with him and shut the door, not wanting to wake Sakura up. “Okay, hit me, what happened?” He groaned, expecting the worse. 

“Nothing really,” she chuckled, “Sakura called me and asked if I wanted to celebrate with you guys since you had just gotten married. I was bar hopping anyways, so I met up with you guys, but you were pretty wasted by the time I found you. I took you to my favorite bar, you and I played darts, then I walked you guys back to the hotel. Sakura went in to hug me, but she slipped in her heels, and her ankle just rolled. I offered to call you a cab to the ER, but you both insisted she was fine.”

“Oh,” Kakashi perked up, “that’s really….”

“Wholesome,” Genma finished the sentence, “when she first called, I was certain you guys had a drunken threesome or something.”

“Nah, they were a little too drunk for that. But I wouldn’t say it was completely wholesome. You guys were telling me how now that you were married, you were going to have a bunch of kids. You picked out a girls name and a boys name. Sarada and Katsuo, very cute, if I might add,” she started to laugh, “but you were very graphic about how exactly you were going to get her pregnant. I think you guys kept forgetting I was there.”

He was going to have to send this woman a god damn fruit basket. “I am so sorry,” Kakashi turned around and pressed his forehead against the wall, not wanting to look at Genma, who was doing a terrible job of not laughing, “is there anything I can do to make it up to you?” 

“Don’t worry too much about it. It was sweet in a weird way, but if you feel bad, I wouldn’t say no to two tickets to your next fight.”

“Deal. Genma get her whatever she wants,” he was glad he could at least pay her back a little for having to put up with them. 

Genma turned the speakerphone off and held it to his chest, “I’ll see you back in Konoha,” he said before getting back on the phone with Ai and working out the details. 

Well, that was at least one mystery off their list. It was probably the most embarrassing moment of his life hearing that he talked about getting his wife pregnant in front of basically a stranger. All things considered, though, he did pretty well if he got off with just a little bit of humiliation. 

Once Genma was gone, Kakashi headed back to bed and fell on his back, falling asleep the second he hit the bed. It startled Sakura just enough that she knew he was there, so she cuddled up next to him, resting her head on his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A thus the Vegas arc comes to a close. If you're wondering where the name Katsuo is from that the name of Sakura and Kakashi son in my other story. Hope you guys are doing good and thanks for reading!


	31. Pt. 2 Therapy

“She’s going to kill me, you know,” Sakura gripped Kakashi’s thigh the entire two-hour drive. Initially, she was driving. Still, Kakashi insisted on taking over after fifteen minutes because she looked so tense. “She’s going to stab my heart and eat it for breakfast.”

“Jesus Sakura, that’s a little much, don’t you think?” They pulled into her parent neighborhood, “I mean, if she’s going to kill anyone, it’s probably going to be me,” he tried to lighten the mood. It didn’t work. 

It had been a little over a week since their whirlwind marriage, Genma, Asuma, Kurenai, Ino, Shizune, and Tsunade knew about it, but they were sworn to secrecy until they had figured out what they were going to do. 

Every time they talked about what to do, the conversation just went in circles about the pros and cons. They needed a fresh perspective. Initially, Sakura was hesitant to bring it up to them, but Kakashi made the point that if they decided to stay married, they would find out anyway. 

~~

“Yeah!” Sakura’s dad went to grab a bottle of champagne, popping it over the couple.

Meanwhile, her mother just groaned, “I thought you were going to give me grandkids,” she sulked into her chair, “but now that you’re married, that is going to happen soon, right?”

Honestly, Sakura thought her parents would have more reactions, but her father was already pouring flutes for everyone. She and Kakashi looked at each other confused, “Uh, I mean, we’re not sure if we’re going to stay married…”

“Then why are you here telling us?” She took a sip of the champagne her husband poured, “you two have been together for years, live together, have good jobs. Seems like a lot of steps to get the marriage annulled then do it all over again in a couple of years.” Then she stopped, “did you two come here so we could tell you what to do?”

“No!” Sakura protested, even though that’s precisely what they were doing. 

“Well, my parents are dead, so we had to ask someone,” after he said it, Kakashi wondered how appropriate that was to say. 

But his comment seemed to go unnoticed, “It seems to me if you couldn’t think of a good reason while you were in Vegas to get divorced and you can’t think of one now, then it makes more sense to be married, right?”

“That’s… really smart mom,” she hadn’t thought of it that way.

Her mother shrugged, “I’m no heart surgeon, but I’m not an idiot,” she glared in their direction, “Do what you want, but I think you two are being overly dramatic.”

The rest of the dinner was mostly her mother bugging them for kids and her dad breaking out all of the nice alcohol he never got to drink. Kakashi wondered what his own father would think or say about him getting married like this. Honestly, he would probably like how economical it was. He also wondered if he would like Sakura. Almost certainly, he would, but still, there was a part of him that craved knowing for sure. 

~~

The car ride home was uncomfortably silent long drive home, all they had to do was tell each other if they wanted to stay married or not, but both were afraid their answer wouldn’t be what the other one wanted to hear. A couple of times, one of them almost said something, but the pit of anxiety in their stomachs stopped them. They got home, and Kakashi went out to walk Pakkun while Sakura took a shower, leaving them both to think. 

For Sakura, she wondered if she could marry someone who didn’t want kids. He said he would think about it, but being a mother was important to her, and she knew that if she didn’t have children, she would resent Kakashi for it. But she didn’t want to force him into fatherhood if he didn’t want that for his life. 

Kakashi was in a similar boat. It seemed to come down to the issue of children. If Sakura didn’t want kids or was unsure herself, staying married didn’t seem like a big deal. But marriage was forever, or at least he hoped it would be, so they had to be on the same page about this, and he wasn’t sure if they were. But the problem wasn’t Sakura, no it was him. He had weird hang-ups about the whole thing and didn’t know how to deal with it. 

“Pakkun, should I have kids?” He asked nonchalantly, deciding not to care if it was weird to be having this conversation with a dog. “I want to make Sakura happy, but I don’t know if I’m ready, and if I’m not ready now, I don’t know if I’ll ever be.” Pakkun just barked, not even at him but a squirrel in a tree nearby. “Yeah, I just worry about if I’ll even be a good dad. What if I traumatize the poor kid?”

Pakkun had nothing to say on that, continuing to stroll down the sidewalk. “I wish you could talk. I’m pretty sure I look insane right now,” he sighed and continued thinking silently on the matter. Getting home, Sakura was already in bed, her hair washed and off her laptop, probably some new study. She had that cute determined look on her face that she only had when deeply contemplating what she was looking at. 

He felt bad for what he was about to do, but if they were going to stay married, it was now or never. “I resent my dad for killing himself, and it makes me feel like I’m going to be a shitty dad, which makes me not want to put some poor kid through my probably terrible parenting.”

Getting Kakashi to talk about his dad was like pulling teeth. Every once and a while, he would brush on the topic, but as quickly as it came up, he dropped it. Sakura closed her laptop, thinking carefully about how to respond, “I see you had a very insightful walk,” it made her feel a little better that she wasn’t the only one obsessing over it. “I don’t think you’ll be a bad dad,” she held out her arm, gesturing for Kakashi to join her in bed, “any kid would be lucky to have you as a parent.”

Not normally one to fish for compliments, Kakashi wasn’t feeling particularly confident in himself at the moment, “How do you know?”

“Because you care more than anybody I know. Personally, I think that’s the most important part about being a parent. I’m not trying to convince you or anything, but I wouldn’t want to have kids with you if I didn’t think you’d be a good father. You trust my judgment, right?” She smiled, squeezing his hand. 

She was so smart. How did he get so lucky? “I do. I just wish my dad cared more, you know?” It felt, so cliche to say out loud, but it was true. “I mean, I’m over it now, but what if whatever he was feeling, someday I feel, and I leave you two alone?” It had been a long time since he felt that pain in his chest. Sakura was so good at keeping him calm but talking about his father like this was pushing him to the edge. 

Sensing his anxiety, she pulled him close to her, cradling him in her arms, “you know, I don’t think you’re over it, and that’s okay. I can’t even imagine what that must have been like for you, but you’re not him, you’re you, and you have me. Together I think we’ll be okay.”

Kakashi took a few deep breaths to calm himself, trying not to get too emotional. “Yeah,” he sighed, “you’re probably right. After Obito and Rin died, though, I think I knew how he felt. I didn’t try what he did, but I started getting reckless in fights, drugs, even getting involved with gangs, and I didn’t give a shit if I died. I almost did a few times, and part of me was hoping that was it for me. What if...” he started to choke up. 

“Shh,” she held him tighter, trying not to cry herself, “You have so many people who love you, and they’re not going anywhere, especially me. I understand why you feel this way, I do, and I’m not trying to convince you either way, but you love with your whole heart Kakashi so if we did have a kid, and god forbid something did happen to me, I know you would destroy the world yourself before leaving them alone. We can talk about all this another night. Why don’t we just get some sleep for now.”

“I’d want a girl,” he seemed a little calmer, “Obviously, I would want them to be healthy, but I want a girl. They’re tougher than boys. It would be fun to teach her how to fight.” There were still a lot of mixed emotions right now, but that was the first time he had said any of that out loud. He felt lighter, knowing she understood him a little better. 

She hadn’t expected a girl, “Really? I’d prefer a boy. I would worry less about them, you know?”

Kakashi shook his head, sitting up, “My daughter’s going to be a certified badass. She’s going off to college at three black belts.” 

Sakura started giggling, “You can’t solve every problem with your fists, you know.”

“No, but it can solve a lot of them, and I’ll be there for the rest of,” he sniffed, wiping the few tears he did shed from his face, “so will you.”

“Of course,” she leaned in to kiss him, “so what does this mean?”

Running his fingers through his hair, he tried to figure that out, “I don’t know,” he fell back on the bed, “My brain’s all fucked up. Talking about this stuff is exhausting.”

She was proud of him for coming to her with it, but she did think it was funny he didn’t actually say that much. But it was big for him, which is what counted, “I know, we’ll figure it all out later. Get into bed with me though, cuddling with you always makes me feel better after crying.”

“Yeah,” he smiled, “that sounds nice.”

~~

The next morning Sakura woke up alone, which wasn’t too unusual. Kakashi was an early riser, which was funny considering he was always late to something. She would have to be at work in a few hours, so she put her ankle brace on, then her scrubs before heading downstairs for some coffee. Usually, Kakashi would be at the gym by now, but she could smell bacon cooking. It made sense he might feel a little clingy after last night, so she was glad she could spend the morning with him. 

“Morning,” he handed her a mug as soon as she stepped into the kitchen. Already on the table was her favorite, strawberry pancakes, “I’m just finishing up, go sit down.”

This was a little much for a Monday morning, but she wasn’t complaining. After filling her plate, she looked over at Kakashi and noticed that he was calm and relaxed, more so than usual. It looked like talking really helped. Once he finished the bacon, the two ate and talked about their plans for the day, if they would have time for dinner together that night. “I’ll leave the gym a little early today. We should have a date tonight to celebrate.”

“Celebrate what?” Sakura was very focused on her pancakes. 

Kakashi reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring box from that night in Vegas. Sakura had decided to keep it in the bedside table, for the time being, worried that wearing it around the people they knew would get the wrong idea of where their relationship was. “Sakura,” he got down from his chair and onto one knee, “will you marry me?”

Dropping her fork Sakura just blinked, checking to make sure she wasn’t still dreaming, “Seriously?”

“Well, uh,” he put down the ring, “not really the response I was looking for but yeah, seriously.”

“Shit!” Sakura got onto the ground with him, “Yes!” She swung her arms around him, “Sorry, you just caught me super off guard but yes, yes, yes!” Before Kakashi could react, Sakura nearly toppled him over with her kiss. 

Chuckling, Kakashi pulled back just far enough to take the ring out and put it on her finger, “Don’t scare me like that.” Throwing the box to the side, his hands went back on her waist, and he let her fall entirely on him, his back now on the floor. “So celebration dinner tonight?”

Now she was really bummed she had used up all her time off for the month, “Yes!” she squealed, looking at the ring again. She swore it was brighter than when she saw it yesterday. It was hard to believe that she wasn’t sure if she was ready to get married only a few weeks ago. It was funny how things could change, “Wait,” she looked back at him, “does that mean…?”

“Let’s talk about it tonight,” he kissed her again, “right now,” he looked at the clock in the living room, “I have you another hour before you have to leave, and I’d really like to enjoy my new wife,” he nipped at her neck. 

There were so many things to go over with him, they should probably talk about it sooner rather than later, but she had to agree. She wanted a chance to enjoy her husband. His hand slipped inside her shirt, pulling it up and off her. “Should we move off the floor?”

“No, can’t wait,” he said between breaths pulling her pants down. 

He could be so impatient, “Fine,” she pulled down his sweats, lucky her, he wasn’t wearing anything underneath, “but you better fuck me properly tonight.”

“Are you saying I’m not going to now?” He took that as a challenge. Before she could respond, his fingers went down, starting on her clit, “I intend to fuck my wife properly every day. I’ll put it in my fucking vows,” his tongue traveling along her collar bone, sending chills down her spine. “Now be good for your husband and get nice and wet for me.”

Confession, they hadn’t had sex since they got back from Vegas. Sakura had missed a lot of fo work and had to go back on crutches, so she was exhausted, and both of them had felt a little awkward not knowing what to do about the annulments. With all that pressure off, though, and Sakura only in a brace, sex stopped feeling as loaded. Sakura was really enjoying all this wife and husband dirty talk, “Fuck,” he started to press harder into her, “you’re enjoying this too much.”

“Yeah, well, what can I say?” he guided her hips on top of him, “You in scrubs turn me on.”

“You’re such a liar,” she moaned with his lips on her neck, “you’re just horny because it’s been a while.”

Lowering her down onto him, he made sure she was taking as much as him as she could, “All of the above,” he started coaxing her up and down and could feel her tighten around him. “How are you doing?” Sakura sometimes struggled in this position. She was a tiny person and couldn’t always fit him in all the way. 

But this time, she was doing well, “Good,” she moved her hips as he did. With one hand, she undid the clasps on her bra and shook it off, letting her breast hang over him, “so impatient you didn’t even take my bra off,” she smirked, but it quickly broke as he thrust a little harder than before, punishing her for teasing him. 

“I’m so sorry you’re right,” he lifted his head to get at least her nipple in his mouth, sucking it slowly as she tried to keep up with him, but gradually she was falling behind. 

“Fuck,” she muttered under her breath. Usually, if she was on top, she was more in control, but he was a bit too overzealous, and she could feel herself getting close. “Kakashi,” she held onto his hair and pressed closer to him, giving him permission to grab her waist and finish her off. For the last few moments, he slammed her on him as fast as he could, reveling in every moan that came out of her. 

“Are you going to cum for your husband?” She was right. He was having too much fun with this, but how could he not? This cute little pink-haired doctor was his forever. He couldn’t think of a moment in his life he was happier. 

Before Sakura could answer, she felt a jolt of pleasure run through her body before relaxing. Kakashi could tell by how she squeezed around him that she had finished. Now he got to be a little selfish. However, he didn’t need much more to push him over. 

Sakura fell on top of him, resting her head in his chest, “Now I have to shower again,” she groaned, “so do you.”

“I’m good,” he rested his hand on her back, “I’ll shower tonight.”

“You just fucked me on the floor. You’re taking a shower,” it didn’t look up this was up for debate. “Listen to your wife.”

She had him there. “Okay,” he nuzzled into her neck, “let’s go take a shower.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day! I think this is a good chapter for the occasion :) Kakashi is trying! We support a boy who tries but lowkey he's going to turn more into our goofy sensei and I'm v excited. Stay safe everyone!


	32. Pt. 2 Adding it Up

There were some days where Sakura would be at the hospital for twelve hours, and nothing would happen, then there were days like this. Six hours and almost that entire time, she was in surgery, and it was unclear if her patient would pull through or not. She wanted to stay and make sure, even if she would miss dinner with Kakashi but Tsunade pulled her aside, “Sakura, go home, we’re not going to know if he’ll pull through until tomorrow. Go be with….” she wasn’t sure what to call Kakashi. 

“Husband,” she lifted her ring upon a chain around her neck. She bought one on the way to work, so even when she couldn’t wear it, she could always wear it. “We decided to stay married.”

Tsunade sat down next to her protege, wrapping an arm around her, “Go be with your husband. Enjoy your life outside of this place, okay? For me?”

“Yeah,” she sighed and stood up, “I will. It’s just hard sometimes.”

“Trust me, I know, but if you let every emotion you feel here dictate your real life, you might just end up like me,” she was only half-joking, “get out of here, if there’s a big update, I’ll call you Dr. Haruno,” she paused, “Haruno or Hatake?” 

“Dr. Hatake is fine,” she would have to fill out the paperwork soon. Part of Sakura wanted to reassure her that there was nothing wrong with where she was in life, but Tsunade was never one to need much comfort. “Okay, I’ll head out then, thank you, Dr. Senju,” she lowered her head, “I appreciate it.”

“You better get laid,” she said in very Tsunade fashion, “one of us has to have some fun tonight.”

~~

She was late, which only meant one thing, something bad happened at the hospital. Unlike him, she liked to be punctual, but he knew this was a possibility which is why he opted for an at-home date, better safe than sorry. 

“Hey,” Sakura opened the door, doing her best to fake a smile. 

It didn’t take much insight to read between the lines, “Hey,” he got up to hug her, “you okay?”

Part of her just wanted to curl up into bed, but then she thought about what Tsunade said. If she wanted a family and life outside of the hospital, she would have to practice keeping work at work. “I am,” she let him hold her, soaking up every moment until she felt calm, “What’s the plan for tonight?”

Not wanting to push her, Kakashi decided to give her an out, “Sakura, we don’t have to tonight.”

“No,” she grabbed his wrist, “please, I could use a little fun tonight. What did you have in mind?”

Kakashi smirked, pulling her into the kitchen. On the table was a spread of Sakura’s favorites, umeboshi onigiri, Anko dumplings, and of course, pineapple fried rice. “Well, I figured dinner and a movie? I wasn’t sure how you’d feel after work, so I wanted to-” his words were cut off by Sakura’s lips on his, not that he minded. He indulged in her kissing deeper while running his hand down her curves. She pulled away, and he shook his head, coming back to reality, “so do you like it?”

“Yeah, it’s perfect,” she pecked him again, “I’m going to shower and change into something cute, then we can have a real date night.”

Before he could tell her she was already cute, she was gone, heading upstairs. When she came back down, he had to admit; she was much cuter in a dress. It didn’t take long for Sakura to dig in. Between bites, he caught that she had been in surgery all day and had barely eaten. He hated hearing things like that. As an athlete, he was conscientious about taking care of his body, eating right, and drinking water religiously. But it couldn’t be helped. “So, I guess we better talk about kids,” he found it better to rip off the bandaid now. 

The dinner looked so nice, and there was a new crime doc that she wanted to watch tonight. As much as she did want to have the conversation, she also wanted to enjoy the night, “we can talk about it late if you want.”

“Sakura, we can’t put this off. We’re married,” he held up his hand, Sakura noticing a band, “let’s not put this off.”

“When did you….?” She tried to remember if he always had that.

“I ordered it once we got back from Vegas and picked it up today. I figured if we stayed married, I would need it, and if not, then eventually I would need it,” he smirked, “So kids?”

It was a little surprising to Sakura that Kakashi was pushing so hard to talk about this. He seemed so uneasy before. “Kids. Do you want them?” She wasn’t sure what else to ask about the subject. 

He sighed, “I do.”

“That was a terrible answer, Kakashi,” Sakura looked unamused. 

She was right, of course, and he chuckled, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. Here’s the thing, I do want kids with you specifically. But if I’m honest, I’m scared shitless when I think about having them, and that’s what is kind of stopping me. I might have some unresolved issues with my father.”

While it might be inappropriate, Sakura couldn’t help herself, “Noooo,” she said sarcastically.

“Cute,” he pressed on, “so here’s my deal. Let’s not try right now, but in exchange for putting it off,” it pained him to say this next part, “I’ll go to therapy.”

Sakura almost choked on her food when he said that. Since they started dating, she had been asking him to go. To deal with his dad, Rin, Obito, to begin to heal noticeable psychological scars that being an underground fighter and drug runner left. But there was only so much she could do. He wasn’t ready to go. “Really?” she tried not to sound too excited to no avail. 

He wasn’t sure if he had ever seen her that happy before. “Yeah,” he was starting to feel uncomfortable about the whole thing, but he stayed strong, “I mean, it’s not like I can have a conversation with my dad where he can answer all the questions I have, so this seems like the next best thing.”

“Kakashi, I’m so proud of you,” she couldn’t help herself, getting up and hugging him from behind. 

Rubbing her arm, he was at least happy that she was so pleased. “Well, I figure I owe it to you, myself, possibly a future child, to make myself a better person, and this was the only thing I could think of. I know you were scared to get married, but you overcame it, and I admired that.”

“Well, you made it easy,” she bent down and kissed his cheek, “You make me feel like I can do anything,” she leaned onto his shoulder, “I know you’re a little afraid to have kids, so am I, but I have no doubt you’ll be a great dad.”

He chuckled, “I’m glad you think so. Maybe I’ll get there too… So a year from now, let’s talk about trying, okay?”

“Deal.”

~~

Six months later

~~

For the longest time, Kakashi’s biggest gripe with therapy was, whatever he discovered there would never fully resolve anything. Ultimately he would be able to ask his father why he killed himself. He would never be able to tell Obito and Rin that he was sorry, so what was the point? But he was pleasantly surprised, not that he felt totally better after six months, but some feelings of resentment and stress that he didn’t even know he had started to relieve. 

Tonight was some charity dinner for the hospital. At first, Kakashi hated going to these things, but then he realized how funny drunk doctors were. Plus, now that Genma and Shizune were together, he would be there too. “How do I look?” Sakura stepped out of the room wearing a long dress with a low neckline. He had seen her in it before, but she looked a lot different now. 

He wasn’t sure what it was at first, “have your boobs gotten bigger?” Her body also seemed to fill it out better. Maybe he had become too used to seeing her in scrubs. 

Sakura groaned, turning around, “I’m going to go change. I don’t like how this fits.”

“Woah,” he ran after her, “it looks good, like really good,” he felt her waist, she seemed curvier than usual now that he was thinking about it, maybe she had just gained a little weight, she had been known to eat dinner out of a vending machine. Not that he minded, of course, she was sexy either way. “You should wear it.”

“No, I’m changing,” she said, quickly pushing Kakashi out of the room before slamming the door. 

Kakashi wasn’t sure what to make of the strange behavior. Sakura wasn’t really the self-conscious type, “well, okay, I guess…” he said basically to himself on the other side of the door. Sakura changed into a black dress that was still nice, but Kakashi missed the old one. He had just noticed all the fun new curves on his wife and wanted to play with them more. But she didn’t seem in the mood right now. 

Pulling up and giving their keys to the valet, the two walked in, “Are you okay?” Kakashi asked as they found their table, “you seem a little on edge.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” no, she wasn’t, but she would have to get through this stupid dinner before dealing with it. 

It wasn’t hard to tell when Sakura was lying, but she only ever did it when she had a good reason. He would let it go for now. “I’m going to grab a beer. You want a glass of wine?”

“No, I’m driving us home, remember?” She said a little too quickly. 

“I mean, we’ll be here a couple of hours. I’m sure you’ll be fine having one glass now,” he was hoping that a glass might help mellow her out. He could see her shoulders tense up. 

“Just water, please,” she wished she could hide her feelings a little better, but she felt herself falling apart.

Sensing his wife was on the verge of tears, he kissed the top of her head, “water it is, I’ll be right back.”

Genma met him at the bar, “What’s up?” 

“Something’s up with Sakura,” he turned to order, “I don’t know what, but she’s on edge. I’m a little worried.”

“Well, you know doctors are a little high-strung sometimes. Maybe she just had a bad day at work. When Shizune has a bad one, you basically can’t talk to her,” he tried to offer some comfort, although, to his understanding, Sakura wasn’t the type to bring being stressed to an event like this. 

Kakashi shook his head, “She didn’t say anything. Also, she seemed fine until we were getting ready. I just commented how her dress looked, and she snapped.”

“What did you say?” Surely Kakashi wasn’t stupid or mean enough to insult how his girlfriend was dressed. 

“Nothing! Well,” he winced, lowering his voice, he didn’t like talking about Sakura like that to anyone, but he was lost. “I just said her boobs looked bigger in it. I thought it’d be a compliment.”

“Apparently not,” he teased, “well, I’m sure it’s nothing. Everyone has off days. Hang in there, pal.”

Kakashi groaned, grabbing his beer and Sakura’s water heading back to the table. Her boss, Tsunade, was there along with what Kakashi guessed, her date. An older guy with white hair. “Hello, Dr. Senju.”

“Kakashi!” Tsunade threw an arm around his shoulder, almost making him spill, “get your wife to drink with me!”

“Now now, Tsunade,” the man grabbed the drinks from him and set them in front of Sakura, “don’t pressure the poor kids. Especially this lovely lady here.”

It seemed innocent enough, but Kakashi wondered if he should be wary of this guy, “Yeah, thanks,” he removed Tsunade’s arm and went to stand behind Sakura, who was looking somewhat defeated, “who are you?”

“The name is Jiraya. I’m an old friend of the doc here,” he grabbed Tsunade’s waist and pulled her close to him, “isn’t that right?”

Tsunade hiccuped, “yup.”

That name seemed familiar to Kakashi, “wait, like the author?” 

A big smirk grew across Jiraya’s face, “And which of my series are you reading?”

Kakashi didn’t want to answer that, “Uh well, you see…”

But before Jiraya could poke further, Sakura stood up suddenly, nearly running away. Even a very drunk Tsunade was unsure what to make of the strange act, “Where did Sakura go?” Tsunade tried to stand up straight. 

Supporting his friend Jirarya looked at Kakashi, “she looked sick. Should she really be out and about with everyone?”

“She’s been fine all day, a little moody since we left, but I don’t think she’s sick.” He had never dealt with Sakura acting like this before. Usually, she was so level-headed. 

Jiraya had a suspicion about what was going on, “well, kid, better check on your wife.”

Kakashi looked back. She had gone into the women’s restroom, great. Leaving his favorite author and his wife’s boss, he ran to find Shizune. He explained the situation and asked if she could check on Sakura for him. Of course, Shizune dropped everything and headed for the bathroom. 

“Look, I know this dinner is important, but maybe you should take Sakura home,” it had been a while since he had seen Kakashi this visibly nervous, “she’ll be okay, though. She’s in a room full of doctors.”

“I know, I just don’t know what’s going on,” it was the uncertainty that was getting to him.

The more Genma thought about it, the more the pieces of the puzzle started to fit together, “is it possible she’s pregnant?”

Kakashi shook his head, “No, she’s on birth control. There’s no way.” He thought a little longer, “yeah, no way.”

There was some deep denial there, “Uh-huh,” there was no arguing with him, “if you say so.”

“My wife isn’t pregnant, Genma,” he insisted. Although it would explain some things if she were, she would tell him, wouldn’t she?

About fifteen minutes later, Sakura and Shizune came out of the bathroom. Sakura looked pale. “Alright, I want you to take her to urgent care,” in the bathroom, Sakura hadn’t told her much, but Shizune had a few suspicions. “She’s running a low-grade fever. I’ll cover her shift tomorrow. Do not let her come in, understand?” She pointed at Kakashi. 

“Definitely,” there was no way he was letting her leave tomorrow morning, “Let’s go,” he wrapped his arm around her, “I’ll see you guys later.”

Sakura didn’t say a word as they walked out, although it looked like she wanted to. He noticed a look of guilt on her face. Once they were both in the car, he groaned, “Sakura, I’m your husband. Why are we going to urgent care?” He knew that she knew. 

It was like talking to a child, she pouted, and he could see her nose crinkle, “You can’t get mad,” she grumbled. 

Well, this wasn’t good, “Okay, I won’t get mad. What is it?” He wasn’t really sure what to expect. Had she cheated on him—racked up thousands of dollars of credit card debt? 

“I’m pregnant,” she said quietly, very quietly. 

“What?” He had to have heard her wrong. She was on birth control. There’s no way she said, ‘I’m pregnant. 

“I’m pregnant.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol I swear everything will be explained next chapter and I will include one of Kakashi's sessions just give me like two chapter haha. It took so much longer to get to this point than I thought but I'm glad we're here! 
> 
> Thanks for reading and stay warm!


	33. Pt 2. Parents

“Well, Mrs. Hatake, everything looks fine. It looks like we’re seven weeks along. I’d just say you’re overdoing it. What’s your occupation?” The doctor was still inspecting the ultrasound. 

“I’m a heart surgeon,” Kakashi’s hand was in hers. He was nearly crushing it, wholly fixated on the screen. He was losing it, she could tell.

The doctor looked surprised, “Yeah, well, that’s a stressful job. It would be best if you reduced your hours. Standing for a long time without food and water isn’t ideal for a pregnant woman, especially the further into your pregnancy you are.”

“Right, will do, thank you, doctor. Would it be okay for us to have the room for a second?” Kakashi didn’t want to talk about it on the drive-over. He said he needed to think before he said anything. But Sakura needed to figure out where he was with all of this. 

“Of course,” the doctor noticed how tense Kakashi was, and she didn’t particularly want to be a part of that. 

Once she was gone, it was quiet. Neither of them knew what to say first. “I’m sorry,” Sakura was the first to speak, “I’m really, really sorry.”

He didn’t like her apologizing for being pregnant. It was his fault too, “Please don’t say that. I’m just confused. How long have you known?”

“Since yesterday,” she sighed, “I got my birth control replaced a couple of months ago, but I was feeling really sick the past couple of days, getting bad cramps and migraines, so I went to my doctor to make sure everything was okay with it. She ran some tests, including a pregnancy one, and well, here we are…”

“Huh,” Kakashi went over to a chair and sat down, staring at the wall trying to process it, “so when were you going to tell me?”

“Yesterday, but then I got scared,” she covered her face, “I just didn’t want you to be disappointed.”

While the shock of everything was throwing Kakashi for a loop, he pulled it together. Sakura was the one who was going to be carrying the kid, scaling back in a career she loved and had to deal with all the hormones in her body. “Hey,” he got up and rushed to her side, “I’m not disappointed, just relax,” he brushed away some hair that fell in her face, “it’s not your fault. These things happen, and we’ll deal with it together.” 

Sakura felt her heart rate calm, “what are the fucking odds that we’re like the 1% that the birth control fails.”

“What are the odds that you were the surgeon that took out my appendix?” He smirked, kissing her forehead. 

“True, we’re truly an exceptional couple,” Sakura smiled before burrowing her head into her husband’s chest. “So, do you want to have this kid? I know we still have like six months until we agreed to revisit the whole kid thing-”

Kakashi chuckled, stopping her before her rambling went on too long, “Sakura, no part of my life has ever gone as planned, and I didn’t expect it to start now. You’re pregnant, and I don’t want that to change, so we’re going to be parents now. Do we tell people?” He found himself getting excited. 

“Not yet. We have to wait another month to make sure I don’t miscarry,” she noticed he actually looked a little disappointed, “well, maybe we could tell my family and some close friends.”

“Are you sure?” He was like a puppy the way he perked up, “I mean, I trust you, I don’t really know anything about babies or pregnancy.”

“Yeah, I’m sure. Let’s tell my parents, and why don’t you pick who you want to tell.”

He didn’t have to think too long about it, “Guy, I’m telling Guy. Can I tell Genma too? Maybe Asuma and Kurenai? Or is that too much?” 

It was, but she was glad that he looked happy, “How about we start with Guy? Can he keep a secret?”

“No, absolutely not,” he shook his head, “he’ll tell everyone, maybe I’ll wait on that one. But can we tell Asuma and Kurenai? I’m happy, I really am, but I’m also freaking out a little, and Asuma is the only father I know, so…”

Sakura never thought she’d see the day where Kakashi would so willingly and easily ask someone for advice. Therapy was definitely helping. “Okay, let’s have them over for dinner tomorrow, and we can go to my parents this weekend or something.”

~~

The next morning Sakura slept in since Shizune had banned her from work. She woke up to her favorite breakfast. All set out for her with a note from Kakashi saying he had to do some work at the gym but that he would be home in a couple of hours. It also said that he would be home in time to clean the house before everyone came over. 

She would have to thank Shizune later for insisting she stay home. While her fever was gone, she was exhausted. There was no way she could cut someone open. After finishing a rather pathetic amount of food since she started to feel nauseous, she went back to bed, hoping that a nap might help lift the fog in her brain. 

When she woke back up, she heard multiple voices downstairs. The clock said it was 2 pm. Somehow she managed to get a full eight hours of sleep, wake up for an hour, then sleep another four hours. Pregnancy was already starting to get on her nerves. However, it was too early for their friends to be here. She went downstairs expecting it to be Genma or Asuma. Maybe they had come over after working out or something, but to Sakura’s surprise, it was her parents. 

“Good morning, or afternoon I guess,” Kakashi got up to greet her with a hug, “don’t be mad,” he whispered, “I just thought we should tell everyone at once.”

While she wished she had been informed beforehand, she had also never seen Kakashi so excited. He was probably not thinking the most rationally. “Yeah,” she kissed his cheek, “Sorry I was asleep late night at the hospital. I’m surprised to see you here, though,” her parents lived two hours away, not exactly far away but not close either, “thanks for coming so short notice.”

“Well, Kakashi told us you got a promotion yesterday and wanted to celebrate. We’re old and retired, so we had nothing better to do,” her mother crossed her arms, “congrats though, what’ll you be doing?” 

Promotion? Not a bad cover, “I’ll tell everyone at dinner. I’m going to go shower, but do you want to do something before dinner?”

“How about we get our nails done? Been a while since we got to do something like that together,” Sakura’s mom looked at Kakashi, “Wanna come?”

When he and Sakura were just dating, he got along with her parents but never really got close to them. He wasn’t always sure how to interact with parental figures. Since he was technically their son-in-law now and he was about to give them a grandchild, he would have to try a little harder. “Ah well, I have to get the place cleaned up and cook dinner, but maybe dad and I could bond while you guys go out?” That was the first time since he was seven he called someone dad, no one else seemed to notice it, but it felt weird. 

“Sounds good,” Sakura’s father gave a thumbs up, “Probably not going to help ya clean though, I’m too old.”

Sakura rolled her eyes, “Okay, well, I’ll be back down soon. Kakashi, come to the room with me? I want to run something by you before I leave.”

The two-headed to the room, closing the door behind them. “You work fast,” Sakura was happy to see her parents, and she was glad she could tell them later tonight, but she wasn’t stoked about her husband making all these plans without her. 

“I know. I’m sorry I had this idea while I was working out and I couldn’t help myself. Are you mad?” He was fidgeting in place. 

This was a weird side of Kakashi, “No. I’m not. Just next time, wake me up and tell me first so that I know what’s happening. And relax a little, maybe? I feel shitty-” Basically cursing herself, Sakura ran into the bathroom connected to their bedroom, throwing up in the toilet.

He had heard of this morning sickness. It wasn’t morning anymore, but she did just wake up. “Shit, you okay?” Maybe stressing her out with surprise guests wasn’t the most thoughtful move. “Want me to convince your mom to hang out here? I bet if I asked her for help with cooking, she would.”

Sakura cleaned herself up, “No, it’s fine. Although I might convince her to do something else, the smell of nail polish sounds awful right now.” 

“I’m sorry,” he ran his fingers through his hair, “I think I messed up.”

Oh, he did, but the thought behind it saved him. “I’ll get her to go shopping instead or something. Thank you for getting them to come though, I’m happy I get to tell them tonight.” She wrapped her arms around her husband, “But tomorrow night, can it just be you and me? And maybe some strawberry ice cream?”

“Of course,” he hugged her back, but not too tight. A part of him was worried about crushing the baby as irrational as he knew it was. 

~~

Shopping was also a bad idea, Sakura forgot, she was already exhausted. She should have suggested dinner way later in the week, but Kakashi looked so excited, she didn’t want to make him wait. “Hey, mom, let’s sit down?” They were coming up on a cafe, coffee was exactly what she needed, but she cursed at herself, no coffee during pregnancy after taking a seat. So when the waitress walked up, Sakura ordered water, and ironically her mother ordered an Irish coffee. 

“So you and Kakashi still waiting on having kids?” The waitress came back with their orders. 

This always came up with every conversation she had with her mother. Still, this time she had to approach it carefully. “We’ve talked about it, but Kakashi wants to get to a better place mentally before we have a kid, and I want to plan out where my career is going to go when we do start a family, so we just need some time to get everything sorted.” Which was all true. She had been dreading talking about everything with Tsunade. She also hated the idea of not being able to work once she got to her third trimester. Being pregnant better be worth it. 

“You know, you’re never really ready to have a kid. I mean, I sure as hell wasn’t. Neither was your dad. But you make it work, and you’re a lot smarter than me, so I have no doubt in my mind you two would be okay.” She pushed her drink forward, “but until then, want a sip? It’s good, nice, and strong.”

Her mother did like some good alcohol in the morning, especially since she retired. “No, I’m fine. I’m feeling a bit dehydrated.” That was a good enough excuse, but Sakura couldn’t help but notice a lingering stare from her mother.

“Right,” she pulled it back, “You okay? You still seem tired.”

“I’m fine, my doctor just suggested I try to cut back on coffee, and I think I’m starting to feel some withdraw,” she chuckled. At least she technically wasn’t lying. 

That seemed to satisfy her mother, “Well, you should, especially to get yourself ready to give it up completely when you’re pregnant. That was the worst part for me.”

“Yeah, I can imagine,” there was only a light panic going on in her head right now. “What was it like being pregnant for you?” She had been meaning to ask for a while but bringing up pregnancy or babies in front of her mother was a slippery slope. 

She thought a moment, “Well, shitty. I won’t lie. But also magical, it’s weird and hard to explain, but you put yourself through all this pain and hardship just to go into financial ruin for the next eighteen years,” Sakura just glared, “but I’ve never been happier than the first time I held you. When you’re pregnant, I think the best part is the excitement and love you already start to feel, and it makes all the suffering worth it. Although you might hate it more than I did, I jumped at the opportunity to have time off work.”

It was true, she wasn’t looking forward to taking time off work, but she got what her mother was saying. She was excited. She might not show it as much as Kakashi, but despite knowing that her child was no large than an orange at this point would do anything for them. “I hope when I’m a mom, I’m half as good as you were.”

“Are Sakura,” she corrected, “I’m your mother until the day I die, understand?”

~~

Meanwhile, Kakashi was at home doing as he said, cleaning the house and getting dinner ready. Sakura’s dad also stayed true to his word not to help, but Kakashi knew he had a bad knee and hip, so he wasn’t complaining. “So, sir, what have you been up to lately?”

“Sir? What happened to dad? You’re officially the closest thing I have to a son so let’s not be so formal,” he turned off the TV and walked over to Kakashi. 

“Right, sorry,” Sir? Fucking idiot, Kakashi felt himself flailing. 

He just chuckled and started to pick at the ingredients Kakashi had started to prep, “You’re dad died when you were young, if I remember correctly?”

Not a lot of people knew about that, and of the people that did, none of them had ever brought it up so casually. It was honestly refreshing, “Yeah, why?”

“Now, I’m not nearly as pushy as my wife, but I would also like grandkids someday. And I remember when I had Sakura, finally, in my arms, it was the best day of my life,” he smiled, thinking back. “But as happy as I was, I was also so stressed my hair was starting to fall out. The only thing that got me through it was talking to my dad, which is why I want you to know that you can always call me, not just about kids, about anything. It’s what dads are for.”

There were a lot of mixed emotions about what he had just said, anger at his dad for not being here, anger at Sakura’s for thinking he needed the help. But then the obnoxious voice of his therapist started to push through the noise. Something about not everyone was out to get him, and there’s nothing to be gained by hating what his father was missing. And slowly, those feelings of anger were being replaced and appreciation, “Thanks,” he finally spoke, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good,” he picked up a piece of tofu Kakashi had already fried up, “god, I’m so glad Sakura married someone who could cook. Unfortunately, she inherited my kitchen skills. Hopefully, your child has better luck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This week has been stupid but here's some cute family stuff. Honestly, I love that Kakashi gets to have a father figure, I think it's cute. And don't worry telling Guy will come and it's going to be great. Believe it!
> 
> Honestly I have such a love hate relationship with this story. I keep on thinking there's only a few chapters left but there's just so much exposition to get through. But I have decided how it's going to end so there's that I guess. 
> 
> Thanks for reading and leave a comment if you feel like it. They make me happy :)


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